Raspberries moldy that fast?

[tankgirl73]

I wasn't sure the best place to post this... I bought some raspberries and strawberries at a roadside stand yesterday afternoon. The strawberries were the best I've bought yet this year (bought others from a stand at the farmer's market, and they went overripe very quickly). The raspberries were yummy too -- at first.

I made strawberry-rhubarb jam right away, and planned to make strawberry-raspberry that evening. Had some errands to run in the meantime.

I did leave the berries out on the kitchen table, and it was a warm day. But I was planning to use them that evening... I did not expect that by 8:30 when I went to get ready for the jam, I would find my 2 boxes of rasperries covered in white mold!!

Is this normal, are raspberries really that sensitive to go moldy that quickly? Or is there something fishy about how fresh these were?

I mean, if they had just gone mushy or gross or something, I'd believe it. But I had no idea mold could even grow that quickly!!! My daughter was eating them at 5pm and they were fine, then by 8:30 they were just absolutely disgusting.

[MPJJJ]

We picked over a quart of raspberries, took them home and washed them, left them on the counter to dry. By the next morning they were all moldy.

[emnic77]

They're so delicate that if they are in a bowl or something, the weight of the other berries will crush some of the berries underneath, and once that juice/moisture is released the mold starts up pretty much immediately.
Your best bet is to go through and remove any crushed or moldy berries right away, and if you rinse them pat them dry as much as possible, and leave them in one layer on a paper towel to store them.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

I also have this problem, especially with raspberries, but also strawberries and blackberries. And I store mine in the fridge! If I dont use the raspberries within 3-4 days of purchase, forget it. Blackberries, maybe 5 days. Strawberries seem to depend on the batch.

My mother works for a very LARGE grocery chain in upstate NY, and her best friends husband is a produce buyer for the same company. She concluded that raspberries do just mold very fast.

[tankgirl73]

Okay then, I won't go back and complain to the seller lol... I just hate to have wasted $8

But now I'm better informed... I think when I got raspberries before, they went straight into the fridge and lasted a couple days. A few hours, though? Wow. But next time, I'll wash and store flat and in the fridge if I can't use them right away.

Thanks!

[SophieAnn]

Actually, in my experience with berries (rasperries, blackberries, etc.) they keep much better if you just put them in the fridge (dry, unwashed). Don't wash them until just moments before you're ready to eat them, or prepare them.

The little bit of water left on the berries from washing seems to contribute to faster spoiling. So, if I am putting berries on top of my yogurt I literally just wash the small handful I'm about to eat.

[tankgirl73]

Sure... either way, I'll put them straight into the fridge next time.

[Ammaarah]

We picked our own berries last year and some were moldy ON THE PLANT! You have to process them in seconds, I swear. Get your ingredients ready and come home ready to pick 'em over and can.

[Fujiko]

Yeah, don't wash berries before storing them. Only right before you use them, as they are delicate.

I go berry picking all the time because I make tons of different kinds of jam. Yes, berries are often moldy on the plant. It happens. It's nature. Just be careful to pick the perfectly ripe ones (not over-ripe ones), and ones that aren't encased in dirt (strawberries) or mushy.

Though, OP, that's awfully fast for mold to grow!! I picked several gallons of raspberries this year and they stayed good for about a week, unwashed, in my fridge.

[lmonter]

The good, not sprayed produce will absolutely mold asap. That's how you know they're good and fresh. In the past I've gone to a u-pick strawberry farm that's an hour away. Spend a few hours picking (with kids I'm not that fast), and when we left, the berries were still great looking. Got home an hour later, in my air conditioned car, and a handful of berries had white strings and such going on already. Those are the breaks.

To hold strawberries, raspberries blackberries, tayberries, blueberries, etc., just stick in the fridge asap in a single layer, or at most, just two layers. More than that and things get squished and bad things happen. Only wash the berries as you're going to use them, the damp just encourages mold.

Or my MO is try and prep what I can as I can. So the day of/after picking strawberries? Hubby and I rinsed and cut up and pureed a bunch of strawberries so they're ready for jam. I've found the pureed stuff holds up better in the fridge for whatever reason.

[canadianhippie]

hey, thought id offer my input on the razz's, I work in fruits and veggies part time and the raspberries just go very quickly, our local ones were only in stock for a week and even the american imports are going and we just got them. If they're in the fridge, it helps alot.

The wild ones at my cottage are eaten right off the plant