Keeping fruit fresh longer via vinegar

JethroVA

I was bored. And tired of buying strawberries and other fruit that molded within days of purchase. So I decided to try a side-by-side experiment, stopping short of a randomized control trial. I'm also a nerd.  So...
Hypothesis: a vinegar-water bath will delay mold on fruit.
Methods: 
1) Bought 2 lbs of strawberries in same container at a major grocer. 
2) Rinsed all of them together in fresh water.
3) Wifey divided them into two piles of same quantity and similar visual quality.
4) Flipped a coin and tails became the vinegar bath pile.  They received a second rinse in mix of roughly 2:1 water/vinegar for several minutes. 
5) covered both with plastic wrap and several days in fridge and several days on counter.  
Results:  See pics below.  The container with the paper in it says "vinegar".  The non-labeled one was the control group. 

smokingal

Did the vinegar wash affect the taste?

GrateEggspectations

Cool. Neat experiment. I’d love to see more such tests.

JethroVA

@smokingal, no, I forgot to mention that the berries were rinsed again after the vinegar water bath.  No change in taste. 

JethroVA

@GrateEggspectations, thanks.  One thing I love about this forum is that most participants appreciated such things.  Couple years ago I did a side-by-side test with treatment of chicken wings and corn starch.  It was conclusive - a positive for corn starch.  I love sh!t like this given that my "hobbies" are now limited by age, profession, and spouse.  

bgebrent

Vinegar is bacteriostatic and will inhibit molds/fungi. 

JethroVA

@bgebrent I so rarely get to use bacteriostatic in a sentence so thank you brother. "It's bacteriostatic."  It's bacterioaologicantido... it's not liking bacteria.  No likey bacteria bugs. Bacteria no likey it either.  

Sorry it's Fri night. Point is, vinegar makes your fruit strong like bull longer. 

Botch

Excellent, Jethro, and thanks!  Will be using this technique in the future.
 
My bugaboo is cheese molding.  Cook's Illustrated insists that cheeses should be wrapped in paper, and then lightly in foil, to allow them to "breathe"; but I seem to get a chunk to last longer when wrapped tightly in Saran Wrap.  I need to buy a fresh block of cheese, cut it in half, wrap each in the two techniques, and see what happens.  
Heck, maybe cut it in thirds, and try the vinegar rinse to one, too!  

mahenryak

JethroVA said:

@smokingal, no, I forgot to mention that the berries were rinsed again after the vinegar water bath.  No change in taste. 

Rinsed before putting into the fridge?  Thank you.

Markarm4119

Most every vegetable/ fruit wash has 2 key components, acetic acid (vinegar) and hydrogen peroxide to stabilise it and keep from turning Brown.
Worked in the the commercial chemical industry for 25 years. Vinegar, white distilled or Apple cider vinegar both work to.kill bacteria. A couple capfull s in some cold v water will keep lettuce, kale celery fresher longer.

Just rinse with fresh water and your produce will last longer

DoubleEgger

Cool. Thanks for the tip. Definitely will give it a try. 

SmokeyPitt

That is interesting but I wonder if the storage method may be causing the mold. We buy strawberries from Sams or Costco all the time and they last a week in the fridge without mold. 


We store them in the original container that is vented. I wonder if washing them and sealing them in the container is causing the mold in the first place? 

JethroVA

@SmokeyPitt definitely don't seal them up.  Notice that most berries and cherries are shipped in containers that can breathe. 

bgebrent

Science!

fishlessman

i might wash a strawberry before eating it, but does everyone wash them before refrigeration, i would think that would cause problems

Acn

fishlessman said:

i might wash a strawberry before eating it, but does everyone wash them before refrigeration, i would think that would cause problems

I was thinking washing before storage might be an issue too.  We usually wash right before consuming (or in the morning if it is part of lunch), but not before putting them away.

nolaegghead

Jethro, who woulda thunk a Beverly Hillbilly would do science?  Great work, brother!

smbishop

Love the science, I may have to do something like this with my 3rd grade science class!

Has anyone tried this stuff?  Used it with our peach canning:

nolaegghead

we used to use sodium bisulfite to keep the salad from browning in my restaurant days.   I am super allergic to it.