Market Notes: Berries that Last

September 11, 2009 by Debra.

Fall fruit is beginning to appear at the farmers’ markets, however, local late-season berries are still available. While picking up raspberries at the Exeter Farmers’ Market this week, a recent article in the New York Times came up in conversation. Harold McGee, better known as “The Curious Cook”, describes his experiments with “thermotherapy” in ” Prolonging the Life of Berries“:

One of summer’s great pleasures is eating berries of all kinds by the basketful. One of summer’s great frustrations is having baskets of berries go moldy overnight, or even by nightfall. Over the years I’ve come up with various strategies for limiting my losses, but this summer I came across a surprising one, the most effective I’ve ever tried. Thermotherapy, it’s been called. A very hot fruit bath. Fruits go moldy because mold spores are everywhere, readily germinate on the humid surfaces of actively respiring, moisture-exhaling fruits, and easily penetrate the smallest breach of their thin skins…

The basics:

1. Fill pot with water and heat to 125°.

2. Dip fresh berries in water for 30 seconds.

3. Drain berries immediately. Spread out on dish towel and leave to dry.

Given the fragile nature of raspberries, the first time I tried this I was afraid they would burst or fall apart. Once dried, though, the berries looked… perfect. Any sign of mold was gone and, once they were stored in the fridge, lasted far longer than when left alone. This same method can be used for many other berries, such as strawberries and blackberries. Thicker-skinned blueberries require a slightly warmer bath of 140°.

This method, of course, applies only to the berries that actually make it home. Because then you can make Raspberry Buttermilk Cake.

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