Strawberries are undoubtedly among the most popular fruits of the summer, but they often tend to mold easily. How to prevent mold from forming? Here are some tricks to follow
It is time to strawberries! In this period we can stock them up for a while and maybe, why not, freeze some so that you can enjoy strawberries for the rest of the year. Let's remember, however, to always wash them correctly and to make sure that no spots have formed mold. What to do if you find mold in strawberries?
In fact, strawberries are among the most delicate and easily perishable fruits. Perhaps this is also why they appear at the top of the list of fruits most contaminated by pesticides. Also this year, in fact, they were included in first place in the American ranking Dirty Dozen, which includes fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues.
We pay attention at the time of purchase, paying particular attention to cultivation methods and origin. And, once you buy them, let's find out what to do or not to do to prevent mold in strawberries.
If I buy strawberries
If we are used to buying strawberries in this period (and only in this period: remember that they are from May until the end of June more or less), let's remember some simple steps to prevent them from getting moldy:
- we choose strawberries at the greengrocer's counter based on colore and consistency. We avoid letting us give bruised fruit, already blackened or soft on contact. These are all signs that reveal the lack of freshness of strawberries (and it applies to all fruits) and that could irreparably lead to the creation of molds in a few hours.
- once purchased, we remove the strawberries from the plastic packaging, dab them one by one with a paper towel and then put them in a large glass container or in a table plate in the refrigerator
- if we find even only a strawberry with a small tuft of mold, it is better to remove the moldy part or even the whole strawberry if already compromised. Each moldy strawberry can quickly contaminate all the others
- we wash the strawberries just before eating them, only in this way they will be preserved at their best. Read here how to wash strawberries correctly
If I grow strawberries
Growing strawberries in the garden or in pots is really simple and it is also possible to grow strawberry seedlings from fruit scraps. HERE we explain how to do it.
But beware, even in pots, strawberries are susceptible to mold. In particular, I am the muffa gray andantonome the two typical diseases of strawberries. There gray mold it is a fungal infection that also affects other essences, while the antonomo is the typical parasite of strawberries and raspberries.
What to do if they appear?
La gray mold it manifests itself with a grayish layer on the leaves and fruits, a probability that increases if the spring is particularly rainy. In these cases, the diseased parts must be removed. To prevent gray mold, it is useful:
- place the strawberry seedlings far from each other, so that the cultivation maintains good ventilation
- mulch with straw, which helps the fruits to stay dry and also to keep the slugs away, another danger for strawberries
- also try planting garlic and onion among the strawberries
- after eliminating the diseased parts, you can also try sprinkling the strawberries with horsetail macerate or nettle macerate (Read here how to prepare nettle macerate)
As for theAntonome of Strawberries: if you notice that the buds of strawberries dry up and fall off, they will surely have contracted the antonomo, which is nothing more than a weevil beetle parasite whose female pierces the stems and lays its eggs in the closed buds, from which the larvae emerge. How to solve? Mulch the soil in spring using fern fronds, but, if the anthurium has already sprung up, intervene by spraying tansy infusions on the plants and on the ground.
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Read also:
- How to preserve strawberries: tricks and infallible recipes to enjoy them all year round
- Strawberry ice cream, the best recipes without ice cream maker, very fast and super easy!
- How to properly disinfect strawberries to eliminate pesticides and parasites
