How to ripen strawberry quickly? (3 tips)

In this brief guide, we will answer the question, ‘How to ripen strawberry quickly?’. We will delve into the following considerations:

• Are your unharvested strawberries ripe?
• Why are your strawberries unlikely to ripen?
• How can you utilize your under-ripe strawberries?

How to ripen store-bought strawberries?

It is not possible to ripen store-bought strawberries. Once the strawberries have been picked the ripening process stops. Thus, ripening post-harvest can not be done. You can purchase strawberries from the store that are fully ripened instead.

 Are your unharvested strawberries ripe?

If you are harvesting your own strawberries, make sure to let them ripen all the way through. The key is when they look fully colored to you, let them hang for one more day. Strawberries take a week to ripen thoroughly.

If you intend to take some sweet time to consume all of them, then pluck them off the tree anyways. Do not wash and store them in the refrigerator. 

Leaving them on the tree for long can hasten the ripening process. Also, you risk getting the strawberries infested with pests.

Strawberries are very delicate fruit that bruise easily. Even though blemished strawberries are still edible, but will have a shorter shelf-life. 

When you are done harvesting, separate the rotten ones. Leave the strawberries with green tips, because they are unripe. Cool them to prolong their shelf life. 

Are your store-bought strawberries unripe?

When we buy strawberries, they can turn out unripe. Unfortunately, they don’t ripen once they have picked off the tree. The bright red and green part should be shiny and lustrous. But don’t rely on the color alone, when choosing your strawberries, smell them too. Ripe strawberries will have a strong sweet smell. 

If you buy them in the wrong season, they will not be as ripe and sweet as you would want them to be.

 Keep the berries in the refrigerator, and eat when they are at room temperature. 

Even if they keep in the refrigerator for three to seven days, they do not actually ripen once picked off the tree. Strawberries are classified as non-climacteric fruits, they will not ripen once they are picked off. They are also highly perishable and will not last long, especially at room temperature.

Strawberries can be deceptive when it comes to looks. You may identify a ripe and delicious lot based on their appearance, only to find out that they are tart and not sweet. 

The sad part is once you buy them you need to work on them to pay their worth. However if you buy them unripe, you are not obligated to enjoy them as a snack you can turn them into something else.

According to textbooks, strawberries will not ripen significantly but recent studies have proved otherwise. Ethylene secretion takes place and plays a part in strawberry ripening. 

Other FAQs about Strawberries which you may be interested in.

How to pick sweet strawberries

Can strawberries cause diarrhea?

How long do strawberries last?

Can you try to ripen strawberry at home?

Despite what food science has been telling us, we can observe that strawberries do change color and taste as they age. Here you can play your part in ensuring that strawberries end up as sweet as possible. 

Try using ripe bananas and place them close to your nearly-ripe strawberries. Using a paper bag is better to prevent ethylene from escaping. However, keep close tabs as strawberries can partly start to over ripen or rot. Regardless if most of it is was unripe.  

How can you utilize your under-ripe strawberries?

There are ample options to utilize your under-ripe strawberries.

• You can make strawberry syrup, just reduce them in some water and sugar.

• You can make strawberry popsicles as a summer treat. You can use Greek yogurt or cream cheese to cover up the tartness. 

• Another unconventional recipe to make use of strawberries is to roast them. Roasted strawberries go well with salads and desserts. Roasting them helps to magnify the sweet taste of the strawberries.

• Make a drink out of it; such as Berry infused iced tea. Another summer treat to cover the regret of buying unsatisfactory strawberries.

• If you like the idea, you can make a soup using the strawberries. Substitute the tomatoes for strawberries and follow a recipe of your choice.

• Make smoothies in which you add ingredients that suppress the sourness. You can use sugar, peanut butter, or even leafy greens.

• Strawberry pickles also is a palatable option to spice things up. They taste good in salads, tachos, sandwiches, and salsa.
• Make a rhubarb-strawberry trifle or a strawberry tart a dessert will help to bring the most out of your strawberries.

Strawberries can never end wrong and can be prepared using plenty of ways. The Strawberry is such an exceptional fruit that you can make it into any recipe.

In this brief guide, we answered the question, ‘How to ripen strawberry quickly?’. Even though technically it is not possible to ripen strawberries when you have them harvested but you can definitely play your part to make sure they are the best they can be.

Citations

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/picking-strawberry-fruit.htm

https://www.thespruce.com/when-and-how-to-harvest-strawberries-1401963

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3808323/

https://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/30313/can-i-accelerate-the-ripening-of-strawberries

https://www.stilltasty.com/questions/index/40

https://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/what-to-do-with-unripe-not-sweet-tart-strawberries