There is nothing quite as sweet as that first bite of a nice, fresh piece of fruit. No matter whether it be an apple, orange, or strawberry, there is no taste quite as nice as ripe and fresh fruit. But, there is no denying that fruit tends to go sour pretty quickly.
Fruit doesn’t stay fresh too long, and when you purchase it, you have a really short period of time within which you need to eat your fruit. Unfortunately, this is the main reason why a lot of fruit tends to go out in the trash.
While you can freeze fruit to make it last longer, this does damage the quality of the fruit. Frozen fruit is fine, but it never tastes quite as nice as fresh fruit.
So, it’s understandable that you may be searching for other ways to keep your fruit fresh for as long as possible.
One method that many people swear by is the mason jar method. But what is the mason jar method? And does it actually keep fruit fresh? Well, while it might seem a little unorthodox, this method really does work. Read on to find out why.
What Is The Mason Jar Storage Method?
First things first, let’s take a look at exactly what the mason jar storage method is. This is a method of storing fruit that has been fairly popular for quite a long time, and that is mainly because it actually works.
It can be difficult to comprehend, but storing fruit in a mason jar really does keep it fresh for much longer than simply storing it in the fridge. So, if you want to enjoy fresh fruit for longer, this really is the method to use!
The mason jar method is really simple. All you need is a mason jar, fresh fruit from the store, a bowl of water, distilled vinegar, a paper towel, and a strainer and then you’re good to go.
As soon as you get home from the store, take your fresh fruit out of its plastic container, and discard the container. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add a small amount of distilled vinegar to it.
Once mixed, add all your fresh fruit to the water and leave it to soak for a short period of time. Then strain the fruit, rinse it with cold water, and dry using paper towels.
After the fruit has dried, add it to your mason jars (ensure that they are clean and sterilized before doing this). Pop the lid on your mason jar, and ensure that it has a tight seal, then put your filled jars in the refrigerator.
You will find the fruit lasts for much longer than fresh fruit stored in plastic containers from the store.
How To Prepare Fruit To Store In Mason Jars
Most people use the mason jar method exclusively for berries, as they are the easiest fruits to store in jars. However, you can store pretty much any fruit using this method, you will just have to do extra preparation for the larger types of fruit.
Grapes can be stored in mason jars once they have had the stem removed. So can cherry tomatoes.
Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries can be stored without requiring preparation.
Watermelon can be stored using this method, but it will need to be diced into smaller chunks in order for it to work. The same goes for pineapple.
Kiwi fruit can be peeled and then diced before being stored in mason jars.
Cucumbers, peppers, and other similar vegetables can be stored using this method, simply chop them up prior to soaking.
Tips For Keeping Your Fruit Fresh
For this method to work, you have to actively work to keep your fruit fresh. This means that you will have to monitor the fruit in the mason jar to ensure that none of it is rotting. As soon as one fruit begins to rot, it will quickly spread across the remaining fruit.
So, remove any rotten fruit from the mason jar, and monitor condensation. If there is a lot of condensation in the jar, add a folded paper towel to the bottom and this will help keep your fruit fresh.
Why Does This Method Work?
You might find yourself slightly baffled as to how this method works. After all, there surely can’t be that big a difference between storing fruit in a plastic container and a glass jar, right?
Wrong! The material in which the fruit is stored plays a huge role in keeping the fruit fresh. The mason jar will limit the amount of oxygen gaining access to the fruit, and this will slow down the deterioration of the fruit.
This is further aided by you washing the fruit in a vinegar-water solution before putting it in the container. The distilled vinegar will eliminate any bacteria on the fruit that could cause it to deteriorate quickly, allowing your fruit to last for much longer.
Advantages Of This Method
Finally, let’s wrap this up with some of the main advantages of this method. They include the following.
Your fruit will last a lot longer than when stored in plastic containers.
Your fruit will be ready and prepared for when you want to use it.
It is easier to see what fruit you have in the fridge, and this will increase the likelihood of you using the fruit.
The amount of fruit/vegetables that you waste should reduce as you adjust to using this method.
Summary
In short, the mason jar method is a simple and effective way to keep your fruit fresh for longer. If you don’t want to freeze your fruit, then this is an excellent method to use to extend the shelf life (see also: A Quick Guide To Brussels Sprouts Shelf Life)of your fruit.
In this guide, we’ve told you absolutely everything that you need to know about how to keep fruit fresh using mason jars. We hope this information has been helpful.
Hi, my name is Amelia Haslehurt and I am a food blogger. As you can guess, I am passionate about what I eat, but what is most important to me when reviewing is high quality, fresh, organic, delicious ingredients.
I wanted to create an online space where others could sample some of my favorite recipes, and share in my passion for home-grown produce.
Whether you are looking for vegan recipes, easy recipes, healthy recipes or your favorite yummy snacks to brighten your day, I can help you out here at LocallyGrownGardens.com
