The day I brought home a carton of fresh, ripe strawberries, I was excited to enjoy their sweet, juicy goodness all week long. But by the very next morning, my excitement turned to disappointment. Half the berries were mushy, and one even had a patch of mold. It felt like watching something beautiful spoil right before my eyes. Determined not to let this happen again, I searched for a better way to keep strawberries fresh. That’s when I discovered a simple but powerful trick.

Instead of just tossing them in the fridge, I started by carefully inspecting each berry, pulling out any that were soft or showing signs of mold. I learned that even one bad strawberry could ruin the whole bunch if left unchecked. Then came the surprising part: a quick bath. I mixed white vinegar with water one part vinegar to three parts water and soaked the strawberries for a few minutes. It sounded strange at first, but this rinse killed off mold spores and bacteria without changing their sweet flavor.