How to preserve strawberries

By Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)

Page last updated: 02/04/2023 | Next review date: 02/04/2025

Author bio

Dr Anny Manrich PhD is a food Engineer with expertise in Food Technology, Natural Polymers, Edible Films, Enzymes, and Nanotechnology. She writes and reviews content on these topics.

Dr Anny Manrich’s Highlights:

Research and Technology at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Biochemistry at the Federal University of Sao Carlos/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
Bachelor of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany

“To solve a problem, global vision and multifactorial understanding are necessary. Therefore, in addition to expertise, one should seek multidisciplinary thinking connected with science and reality” – Dr Anny Manrich, PhD.

Professional Experience:

Dr Anny Manrich’s Experience Joining the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, as soon as she completed her doctorate,

Dr Anny Manrich has worked on several projects, including the more than three-year partnership project with BRF, a major food producer in Brazil. As a postdoctoral fellow.

Dr Anny Manrich has also contributed to several business consultancies and research projects of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory System in areas such as food technology, fibres, films and coatings and Nanotechnology; in a very determined way, having a great team relationship, being creative and committed.

Growing concerns about the safe introduction of nanomaterials into today’s life emphasises the need to create regulatory documentation in front of characterising, using and testing them. Dr Anny Manrich worked for two years on a characterization project for nanoscale materials, with the aim of exploring their possible health effects.

Despite not having specific academic training in packaging or polymeric films, Dr Anny Manrich works at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in areas of edible and biodegradable films produced from agricultural waste and in the development of films with greater resistance to water, having articles published in renowned scientific journals, which demonstrates her multidisciplinary understanding and creativity.

In addition, she worked for four years as a consultant to a food company to develop a line of snacks that are healthy and that add functional ingredients, physiologically active compounds that bring health benefits, made from fruits and vegetables, enabling diet improvement, disease prevention and reduction of nutritional deficiencies.

Dr Anny Manrich participated as a member of the examination board for two Master’s exams and one PhD exam at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Federal University of São Carlos.

Education:

2001 Bachelor in Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas, Brazil
1999 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
2004 Master in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
2012 PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
2010 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich

The main publications of Dr. Anny Manrich are:

Articles

Manrich, A., Moreira, F. K., Otoni, C. G., Lorevice, M. V., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. (2017). Hydrophobic edible films made up of tomato cutin and pectin. Carbohydrate Polymers, 164, 83-91.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H. A., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Correlating emulsion characteristics with the properties of active starch films loaded with lemongrass essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids, 100, 105428.

Norcino, L. B., Mendes, J. F., Natarelli, C. V. L., Manrich, A., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Pectin films loaded with copaiba oil nanoemulsions for potential use as bio-based active packaging. Food Hydrocolloids, 106, 105862.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization of trypsin on chitosan gels: Use of different activation protocols and comparison with other supports. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 43.1 (2008): 54-61.

Manrich, Anny; Komesu, Andrea ; Adriano, Wellington Sabino; Tardioli, Paulo Waldir ; Giordano, Raquel Lima Camargo . Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by Multipoint Covalent Attachment on Agarose and on Chitosan Supports. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, v. 161, p. 455-467, 2010.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Neto, A. S., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Mattoso, L. H. C., & Martins, M. A. (2019). Development and physical-chemical properties of pectin film reinforced with spent coffee grounds by continuous casting. Carbohydrate polymers, 210, 92-99..

Milessi, T. S., Kopp, W., Rojas, M. J., Manrich, A., Baptista-Neto, A., Tardioli, P. W., … & Giordano, R. L. (2016). Immobilization and stabilization of an endoxylanase from Bacillus subtilis (XynA) for xylooligosaccharides (XOs) production. Catalysis Today, 259, 130-139.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Manrich, A., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Development, physical‐chemical properties, and photodegradation of pectin film reinforced with malt bagasse fibers by continuous casting. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 137(39), 49178.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Luchesi, B. R., Dantas, A. P. S., Vanderlei, R. M., … & Martins, M. A. (2021). Thermo-physical and mechanical characteristics of composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) e spent coffee grounds (SCG). Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 29, 2888-2900..

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Development of quaternary nanocomposites made up of cassava starch, cocoa butter, lemongrass essential oil nanoemulsion, and brewery spent grain fibers. Journal of Food Science, 86(5), 1979-1996.

Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Manufacture and performance of peanut skin cellulose nanocrystals. Scientia Agricola, 79.

Nascimento, V. M., Manrich, A., Tardioli, P. W., de Campos Giordano, R., de Moraes Rocha, G. J., & Giordano, R. D. L. C. (2016). Alkaline pretreatment for practicable production of ethanol and xylooligosaccharides. Bioethanol, 2(1)..

Manrich, Anny, de Oliveira, J. E., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. Physicochemical and Thermal Characterization of the Spirulina platensis. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. B, v. 10, p. 298-307, 2020.

Book Chapter

Terra, I. A. A., Aoki, P. H., Delezuk, J. A. D. M., Martins, M. A., Manrich, A., Silva, M. J., … & Miranda, P. B. (2022). Técnicas de Caracterização de Polímeros. Nanotecnologia Aplicada a Polímeros, 614.

Conference Papers

Ferreira, L. F., Luvizaro, L. B., Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., Júnior, M. G., & Dias, M. V. (2017). Comparação da estabilidade de suspensões poliméricas de amido/tocoferol e quitosana/tocoferol. In: CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE POLÍMEROS, 14., 2017, Águas de Lindóia, SP.

Manrich, A., Hubinger, S. Z., & Paris, E. C. (2017). Citotoxicidade causada por nanomateriais: avaliação do micronúcleo. In: WORKSHOP DA REDE DE NANOTECNOLOGIA APLICADA AO AGRONEGÓCIO, 9., 2017, São Carlos. Anais… São Carlos: Embrapa Instrumentação, 2017. p. 655-658.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by multipoint covalent attachment on Glyoxyl Agarose Support. The 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2009.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Application of immobilized xylanase on hydrolysis of soluble wood hemicelluloses after using microwave and organosolv pre-treatments. The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2010.

You can view some of Dr Anny’s work below and links to her professional profile.

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anny-Manrich-2

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=23103497100

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Ea9qpr0AAAAJ

Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/anny-manrich-20693129

Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)

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In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “how to preserve strawberries” and discuss the methods used to preserve strawberries.

How to preserve strawberries

The United States produces almost 20% of the world strawberry crop and leads the world in production per unit area. The farm gate economic value of strawberries has been between $2.3 billion and $2.8 billion during the past 3 years (2014-2017) (1).

Strawberries can be preserved by:

Refrigerating
Freezing
Dehydrating
Making jams and sauces
Making strawberry fruit leather

Strawberries are best when they are eaten fresh. Freshly harvested strawberries must be eaten within 3 days. Strawberries do not preserve at room temperature and they must be refrigerated or frozen to preserve freshness. They can also be preserved using other methods such as dehydration and making jam.

How to preserve strawberries by refrigerating

In fresh produce, ascorbic acid begins to degrade quickly soon after the produce is harvested. Refrigeration helps to slow this degradation. Frozen storage is effective in preserving ascorbic acid (2).

Refrigerating will preserve strawberries for about 1 week. In a study, fresh strawberries were stored at 2°C (35.6°F) for 10 days with little losses on the levels of vitamin C, tocopherol and beta-carotene (2).

To refrigerate strawberries:

Sort through the strawberries and remove bruised and moldy ones.
Wash in running water and dry well using a paper towel.
Trim off the stems.
Place the strawberries in an airtight container, label and refrigerate.

How to preserve strawberries by freezing

Freezing is one of the easiest, quickest, most versatile and most convenient methods of preserving foods. Properly frozen foods maintain more of their original color, flavor and texture and generally more of their nutrients than foods preserved by other methods (3).

Freezing is the best method to preserve strawberries in their original flavor. Frozen strawberries will last for about 8 to 12 months, when packed in sugar or syrup and about 3-6 months when packed without sugar or liquid (3). There are different methods to freeze strawberries.

Freezing whole strawberries: Place whole strawberries with the stem trimmed off in a ziplock bag. Frozen whole strawberries are best when used within 2 months. After that, they may begin to lose flavor.
Freezing cut-up strawberries in sugar: Wash strawberries, trim the stems and cut them in half and mix with sugar. Freezing strawberries in sugar will preserve them for 8 – 12 months.
Freezing pureed strawberries: Wash strawberries, trim the stems and hull the strawberries. Blend the strawberries with lemon juice and sugar. Freeze the puree in airtight containers or freezer bags. Frozen strawberry puree must be used within 6 months.

When frozen strawberries are thawed, they will lose their texture and become mushy. This is caused by the water inside the cells expanding during freezing and damaging the cell wall. Frozen strawberries are best used in pies, smoothies and baking recipes.

How to preserve strawberries by dehydrating

Strawberries can be dehydrated in several ways such as by using a food dehydrator, oven, and sun-drying. Dehydrated strawberries can be enjoyed as a healthy snack on their own or added to trail mix or cereals.

After dehydration, the strawberries must be stored in an airtight container. Dehydrated strawberries can also be frozen after dehydration to extend their shelf-life. Frozen dehydrated strawberries will retain their flavor for about 6 to 12 months (4) .

Pretreating fruits prior to drying is highly recommended. Pretreating helps keep light-colored fruits from darkening during drying and storage and it speeds the drying of fruits with tough skins, such as grapes and cherries (4).

How to preserve strawberries by making jams and sauces

One of the thermal preservation techniques applied to fruits is jam–marmalade production. This process combines some physical preservation techniques together which are pasteurization, concentration and water activity control. Pasteurization is a mild heat technique under 100°C to kill pathogen bacteria and spoilage organisms as yeast and molds and inactivate enzymes while causing minimal loss on nutritional and sensory properties of food. This method makes food safe for several days under 4 °C (5).

Strawberry jams and sauces are delicious and can be eaten with waffles, bread, pancakes.

Strawberries can be made into both jams and sauces. Both strawberry jams and sauces can be homemade and require few ingredients. Partly bruised and damaged strawberries can also be used when making jam or sauce after the bruised part is discarded.

Strawberry jam: There are various recipes for strawberry jam. Jams can be made using just strawberries or by combining with another berry such as raspberry or blueberry. Home-made strawberry jam can be preserved for about 1 year at room temperature if it is canned into sterile jars (6). The jam must be refrigerated once it is opened.

This recipe explains how to make strawberry jam from just 3 ingredients, strawberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice.

Strawberry sauce: Strawberry sauce is made by cooking strawberries in a mixture of lemon juice, sugar, water, vanilla and cornstarch.

Strawberry sauce can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for about 1 week. The strawberry sauce can also be canned for long term preservation.

How to preserve strawberries by making strawberry fruit leather

Fruit leather, also known as fruit bar or restructured fruit, is a product in the form of a pliable strip or sheet obtained by thin-layer drying of fruit pulp, with or without the incorporation of additives (7).

Fruit leather is a fruit roll made by drying or baking pureed fruit. Strawberry fruit leather is made by blending hulled strawberries with sugar and lemon juice and then baking the mixture at 170 degrees for about 3 hours until the stickiness is gone.

Strawberry fruit leather will preserve for about 2 weeks when refrigerated.

In a study, strawberry leather had a shelf life of 53 when stored in absence of light and moisture (22.5% RH with no illumination) (7).

Extending the shelf-life of strawberries

The below methods will help to extend the shelf-life of strawberries regardless of the preservation method used.

Sorting through and removing spoiled strawberries: Mold spreads very quickly in strawberries. It is important to sort through and discard any moldy and spoiled strawberries before preserving them.
Removing moisture: Moisture will cause spoilage in refrigerated and frozen strawberries. If strawberries are washed, they must be wiped down with a paper towel before storage.
Spraying with vinegar water: Spraying fresh strawberries with vinegar water (1 part vinegar and 2 parts water) will remove the microbes on the surface of the strawberries and preserve them for longer. However, they must be properly dried with a paper towel after washing.

In a study, acetic acid or vinegar vapor was effective in preventing conidia of brown rot, gray mold, and blue mold from germinating and causing decay of stone fruit, strawberries, and apples (8).