The Color Rule To Follow When Picking The Most Delicious Strawberries

Picking strawberries can be a tricky task if you're not sure which ones are the ripest. Do they all taste the same? Will some be less juicy than others? The answer is as simple as looking at their color.

Strawberries vary in color depending on when they are picked, and that color indicates how ripe they are. So when deciding which batch of strawberries to buy, use the color rule. Strawberries that are firm and a solid ruby red (except for its leaves) will be the sweetest and juiciest. If the strawberry is very red, but soft and squishy, it is overripe. These can still be eaten, but should be eaten first so they don't go bad.

Strawberries with patches of lighter red are still edible but will be more firm and less juicy. And finally, strawberries that still have white or yellow patches or tips are under-ripe and should still be given a few days to fully ripen. They'll be sour and have the firmest texture.

Luckily, there's a use for strawberries of any color. The ripest strawberries are perfect on their own or used in foods with sweeter flavor profiles like jams, pastries, or cakes. The middle ground strawberries can be mixed with yogurt and honey to add a bit of that missing sweetness. And finally, the strawberries that were picked slightly early can be roasted to help pull out their flavor, or use them in a savory dish to add acidity.

Now that you've used the color rule to pick the perfect batch of strawberries, you want to make sure they stay as fresh as they can for as long as possible in your fridge. An important step is making sure they stay dry until you're ready to use them.

Washing your strawberries is a common practice, but the extra water in the container will make it easier for mold to grow and potentially ruin the entire batch. Instead, keep them dry for as long as possible and wash them (with a salt water scrub, preferably) only when it's time to use them. This will help keep them at peak ripeness for longer.

Another way to keep your strawberries ruby red are to store them in the produce drawer of your fridge between 32 and 34 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also freeze them (in which case they should be washed and dried) if you want to save them as a tasty treat for later.