How to Soak Blackberries in Vinegar to Keep Them Fresh

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Plus, how to store blackberries in the fridge

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: November 26, 2025 Fact Checked

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Cleaning the Berries

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Storing Washed Berries

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Vinegar Soak vs. Rinsing with Water

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Does vinegar remove pesticides?

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Alternatives to Vinegar

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Video

Blackberries are delicious, but as soon as you get home with them, there’s a ticking clock counting down to mushy fruit in your fridge. But what if there was a way to keep them fresh longer? Soaking them in vinegar may help! We’re here to explain exactly how to clean blackberries in vinegar, plus how to store them and whether there are any good alternatives to vinegar.

How do you clean blackberries with vinegar?

An illustration of the steps to clean blackberries with vinegar: Sort the berries, combine vinegar and water, soak the berries, drain and rinse them, lay the berries out to dry, and refrigerate them.

Sort the blackberries and remove any that are mushy or moldy.
Combine 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water in a large bowl.
Soak the blackberries in the vinegar mixture for 5 minutes.
Drain the berries and rinse them well.
Dry the berries thoroughly before storing them.
Refrigerate the blackberries for up to a week.

Section 1 of 5:

Cleaning Blackberries with Vinegar

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1
Sort the blackberries as soon as you bring them in. Whether you’re prepping fresh or wild blackberries, take a moment to go through them before you wash or store them. Remove any berries that are mushy, damaged, moldy, or dehydrated.^{[1]
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- If the berries are slightly mushy but otherwise still good, eat them right away or use them in a jam, syrup, or compote.
- Discard any berries that are moldy, slimy, or shriveled, or that have a bad smell.
2
Combine 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water in a large bowl. You don’t have to be exact, but an ideal vinegar-to-water ratio for berries is about 1:3. This preserves the acidity needed to kill bacteria and mold spores on the surface of the fruit, but is still mild enough that you can rinse away any lingering vinegar taste or odor.^{[2]
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- What kind of vinegar should I use to wash fruit? Use 5% white vinegar if you have it on hand—it’s inexpensive and readily available. But any 4–7% concentration of light-colored vinegar will work, even apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar.
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3
Gently add the blackberries and soak them for 5 minutes. Add the berries to the bowl of vinegar water and gently swish them around. Leave them in the vinegar soak for about 5 minutes, swishing them occasionally to help remove any dirt that might be lodged in the blackberries’ crevices.^{[3]
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- For an even gentler way to clean the berries, place them in a colander or salad spinner, then lower that into the vinegar solution. That way, you won’t have to transfer them to another container to drain them.
- Soak the blackberries for at least 2 minutes, but don’t leave them in for more than 10 minutes. The berries may get mushy or develop a sour aftertaste from absorbing too much of the vinegar solution.
4
Drain the blackberries and rinse them under cool water. Place the berries in a colander or strainer if they aren’t in one already. Drain off all the vinegar water, then gently rinse the blackberries in cool, fresh water. This will help remove any residual odor or taste from the vinegar.^{[4]
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- You can also lower the colander or strainer into a bowl of fresh water and swish the berries around to clean them.
5
Lay the berries out on a dishcloth or paper towel to dry. Spread out the blackberries in a single layer on a clean dish towel or a layer of paper towels. Gently blot them dry with a second cloth or paper towel. Then, leave the blackberries out for about an hour or until they’re completely dry. Any moisture will cause blackberries to spoil more quickly, so don’t rush this part.^{[5]
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- If you have a salad spinner, line it with several layers of paper towels, then spin the blackberries for about 15 seconds or until they’re dry.^{[6]
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- If you use a cloth, pick one that you’d be okay with getting stained, since juice from the blackberries might not wash out.
- If you don’t want to leave the blackberries sitting out exposed, cover them with a cloth or paper towel.

Section 2 of 5:

How should you store washed berries?

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1
Transfer the berries to a container lined with paper towels once they’re dry. Put the blackberries in a ventilated container lined with paper towels. This will help prevent trapped moisture from spoiling the berries. If possible, store the berries in a single layer, or place paper towels between the layers if that’s not an option.^{[7]
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Research source} Good choices for containers include:
- The original container the berries came in
- A berry saver container
- A shallow food storage container with the lid propped open
- A glass jar with the lid propped open
2
Refrigerate the berries for up to a week. To keep your blackberries fresh longer, store them at about 32–35 °F (0–2 °C) 90–95% humidity. ^{[8]
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Trustworthy Source

National Pesticide Information Center
Organization run by Oregon State University providing objective, science-based information about pests and pesticides

Go to source} The crisper drawer in your fridge is a good option, since it typically maintains a higher humidity level than other parts of your fridge. A shelf near the back or bottom of your fridge can also work, since it may hold its temperature better than a shelf in the door, where the temperature often fluctuates.
- How long will blackberries last in the fridge? Without a vinegar soak, blackberries will usually last for 1–3 days in the fridge. After soaking in vinegar, they can last for up to 5–7 days.^{[9]
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Section 3 of 5:

Vinegar Soak vs. Rinsing with Water

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Store blackberries without soaking if you plan to eat them within 1–2 days. If you think you’ll finish all of the berries within a couple of days, there’s really no need to do a vinegar soak. Just sort the blackberries when you get home, picking out any that are damaged or moldy. Place the blackberries back in their container with a dry paper towel, then rinse them under cool running water just before you eat them.^{[10]
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- Rinsing blackberries in water is an effective way to remove dirt, bacteria, and pesticides—you don’t need vinegar or special fruit washes for that.
- That said, a vinegar soak can help extend the freshness of blackberries, so it can be helpful if you have more berries than you can eat right away.

Section 4 of 5:

Does vinegar remove pesticides from berries?

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Yes, and it may be slightly more effective than water. Rinsing fruit in water is an effective way to remove pesticides from the surface of the fruit, and it’s the method recommended by the FDA. That said, some studies have found that washing with water only removes up to 75% of pesticides, while a vinegar soak may remove up to 90% of residue from certain pesticides.^{[11]
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- There is no proven method for removing 100% of pesticide residue from produce.^{[12]
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  National Pesticide Information Center
  Organization run by Oregon State University providing objective, science-based information about pests and pesticides
  
  Go to source}

Section 5 of 5:

Alternatives to Vinegar

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Baking soda Mix 1 tsp (5 g) of baking soda with 2 cups (470 ml) of cold water. Soak the blackberries in the mixture for about 10–12 minutes, swishing them through the water occasionally. Drain the water and rinse the blackberries, then allow them to dry.^{[13]
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- Baking soda may also be an effective way to remove dirt and germs from your blackberries.
Soak your blackberries in water heated to 120–130 °F (49–54 °C) for about 30 seconds. This will kill any bacteria or mold spores that will cause the blackberries to spoil faster, just like vinegar. Allow the berries to dry thoroughly before you store them.^{[14]
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Salt water Mix 1 tsp (6 g) of salt into 2 cups (470 ml) of water, then submerge the blackberries in the salt water for about 10 minutes. Rinse the berries well afterward to remove any salty taste, then dry them well before storing.^{[15]
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- Vinegar wash vs salt water wash for berries: Soaking berries in salt water may be somewhat helpful for cleaning and removing pesticide residue, but a vinegar soak is generally more effective.
Even if they’re labeled as a “fruit wash,” these products can be absorbed into the fruit. Their safety for human consumption has not yet been determined.^{[16]
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US Food and Drug Administration
U.S. government agency responsible for promoting public health

Go to source} Stick to techniques that are proven to be safe, like rinsing in plain water or using a vinegar soak.