I’m a chef — here’s the best way to keep berries free of mold and pesticides

This is a sweet hack.

A Detroit food truck owner is sharing the “best” way to wash berries to rid them of mold and pesticides.

“This is a must-learn, especially if you have kids at home,” Mike Nassar, co-owner and executive chef at Detroit 75 Kitchen, declares in his November TikTok, which has soaked up 84,000 views.

In the 26-second clip, he adds a cap full of white vinegar into a bowl of cold water and soaks the berries in the solution for about 15 minutes.

He gives the berries a quick rinse and lays them out on a towel to dry. Once they are dry, he adds them back into the container they came in.

@detroit75kitchen

This is the best way to clean your berries to wash off outside pesticides and prevent molding. 1. Put cold water into a bowl with a little bit of white vinegar (I’m using a cap-full) 2. Add your berries to the vinegar/water solution and let sit for about 15 minutes. 3. Give your berries a quick rinse and lay them out on a towel to dry. 4. Once dry, you can add them back to the container they came in or to one of your own. The holidays are coming up fast, so be sure to keep this in your back pocket. – Chef Mike #berries #produce #cleaninghacks

♬ original sound – Detroit 75 Kitchen

Southern Living recently noted that berries are susceptible to mold because they have thin skins and are full of moisture.

The outlet suggests soaking berries for 5 to 10 minutes in a mixture of 3 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar.

Southern Living recommends keeping different types of berries separate because some ripen faster than others and trashing ones that are overripe or moldy already.

For its part, EatingWell prefers a 4:1 ratio of cold water to vinegar and a 5-minute soak.

“It’s not exactly that vinegar itself extends the life of berries,” Sean Brady Kenniff, EatingWell’s senior digital food editor, explained in a blog post last year.

“It’s the fact that vinegar is so acidic that it kills or inhibits the growth of a lot of the bacteria and fungus, including mold, that may grow on berries, which makes the fruit last longer,” he added.

EatingWell also advises drying the berries thoroughly — consider using a salad spinner — and lining the container that holds them with a cloth or paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

Nassar’s followers thanked him for the video and peppered him with follow-up questions.

“My raspberries always end up mush with this process. Even when I set them out to dry. What am I doing wrong??” one commenter complained.

“Try soaking them for less time — start with 7-10 minutes,” Nassar responded.

When one TikToker asked about vinegar allergies, Nassar suggested using baking soda instead.

The Post reached out to Nassar for comment.

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