Berries are one of the healthiest foods we can add to our diet. Full of antioxidants, nutrients and fiber, they fill our plate with the rainbow of colors nutritionists advise us to aim for.

Berries are also very expensive, so it’s discouraging to spend a small fortune in the produce aisle, only to discover they’ve gone bad the next day. This seems especially true for delicate and delicious raspberries.

Here are some suggestions for making those precious berries last longer.

1. Look carefully at the berries you’re buying in the grocery store. Open them up and inspect, ensuring there are no moldy ones in the bunch.

2. Once you get home, dump the berries out on a clean paper towel and inspect carefully. Sometimes moldy berries are lurking at the bottom of the bunch. Throw any moldy berries out and replace the pad on the bottom of the berry box with a clean paper towel. Refill the berries into the container it came in, making sure it is free of mold. Don’t wash the berries.

3. You shouldn’t wash your berries until you’re ready to eat them, because this will make them go bad more quickly. If you haven’t eaten extremely perishable berries (like raspberries) in a couple days, consider freezing them. Rinse with water, dry and place in a freezer container for future use. They won’t have the same consistency as fresh berries, but at least your hard-earned money won’t go into the garbage. These berries are perfect in smoothies, on cereal and granola or, over ice cream or yogurt. Another idea is to freeze raspberries into ice cubes with cranberry juice, to put in white wine or Prosecco.

I hope this has given you some ideas on how to keep your berries fresh.

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