Fresh berries are a delicious and nutritious summer snack, regardless of whether you’re consuming them plain or as a part of a refreshing fruit salad. However, berries are notoriously hard to keep fresh for long — so what can you do to store them properly?
While many berries will only last for up to a day when left on the counter at room temperature, you can store them in the fridge to keep them edible for up to a week. For a quick refresher on how long berries can last on your countertop, refer to the table below.
| Type Of Berry | Room Temperature Freshness |
| Blueberries | 1 day |
| Blackberries | 1 day |
| Raspberries | 1 day |
| Strawberries | 2 days |
| Cranberries | 2-3 days |
Some berries, such as cranberries, last longer than others at room temperature due to the lower moisture content. If you want to enjoy the berry in its freshest state, consume it soon after purchase.
If you need to keep them for several days, it’s best to follow a few quick tips for storing fresh berries in the refrigerator.
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Can You Eat Berries Left Out Overnight?
As is the case with most fresh fruit, berries can be left out on the counter for up to a day with very minimal loss in quality. Unlike a hardier fruit, such as an apple or a piece of citrus, berries won’t hold up well over the course of a week if left unrefrigerated.
If your berries have been kept whole, you can feel perfectly safe to eat them after they’ve been on the countertop overnight. If they’ve been pre-sliced, it’s unlikely that they’ll still be in an edible condition after 8-10 hours without refrigeration.
As a general rule of thumb, sliced fruit should be consumed within a few hours of being removed from the fridge.
Any longer than this, it’s likely that bacteria will have the chance to grow on the fruit which can lead to potential illness by the individual consuming it.
If your berries were originally frozen, you should not leave them on the countertop overnight. If you need to thaw out your frozen blueberries or strawberries for a recipe, it’s best to thaw them slowly in the fridge instead of at room temperature.
If you purchased frozen berries for a delicious summer smoothie, you can add them without defrosting them first.
If you accidentally forgot your bowl of fresh berries on the counter yesterday evening and now you’re unsure if you should eat them, give them a thorough visual inspection. If there’s no mold and they still look appetizing, you can feel free to enjoy them.
How Should Berries Be Stored?
Berries are best when consumed soon after purchase and if you find yourself wanting to eat fresh berries over the course of the week, you may need to follow a few steps to ensure they keep.
Ideally, you want to protect your fresh berries from moisture — which can lead to mold growth. Once your berries show signs of visible mold, it’s time to toss them and pick up a new container from the local grocery store.
If only one or two berries have mold, you’ll want to carefully inspect the rest of them to ensure it hasn’t progressed to the entire batch.
Once you bring your berries home, you can feel free to leave them on the countertop if you’re going to consume them within 24 hours.
If you want them to keep longer than that, you’ll want to refrigerate them. An important tip is to not wash the fruit before refrigerating it.
You’ll want to rinse your fruit before you consume it, as any excess moisture in storage can actually cause issues of mushiness and mold growth. Store your fresh berries in the produce bin inside of the fridge so they can stay dry and cool.
Storing berries in a single layer as opposed to stacked on top of each other provides them with enough breathing room to ward off bacteria growth.
Once refrigerated, most berries can last upwards of five days. Strawberries tend to dry out quicker in the fridge, so keep this in mind for any recipes you have planned.
How Long Do Berries Last?
The answer to how long berries last can vary depending on which type you’re concerned about. Raspberries, for instance, develop mold at a rapid rate and should be consumed rather quickly.
Blackberries tend to be firmer and will last a bit longer before becoming soft, mushy, and potentially moldy.
Fresh berries stored on the countertop will last 1-2 days, while berries stored in the fridge may last you the entire week. If you find that you can’t consume them in time, another solution is to pop them in the freezer to prevent them from going bad.
Once frozen, your berries can last between 4-6 months and can be used in a variety of recipes and smoothies.
If you want to include some antioxidant-rich blueberries in your morning oatmeal, simply thaw out a serving in the fridge overnight and they’ll be ready to enjoy in the morning.
Another long-term storage solution would be to dehydrate your berries, at which point you can keep them at room temperature for up to a year!
Once all the moisture is dried from the fruit, there is a drastic decrease in the ability of bacteria and mold to take over.
What Happens If You Eat Berries That Have Gone Bad?
Most of the time, you can do a quick visual inspection of your produce before consuming it. If you’ve found yourself in a situation where you ate a few berries before noticing a bit of mold on one, you may be concerned for your health.
Oftentimes, people don’t get sick from consuming a small amount of mold on fresh produce. While not ideal, it happens from time to time and you should toss the rest of the produce that was stored with the moldy ones and go about your day.
Berries that are past their best-by date may be mushy and unappealing to eat, which is often noticeable once you pick them up. There may also be an unsavory taste if they’ve begun to break down and lose the original sweet flavor.
If you’re still worried about your gut health upon accidentally eating a moldy berry, you can include some fermented items into your diet to strengthen your gut’s microbiome.
If you’re not a fan of the tangy taste of sauerkraut or kimchi, you can opt for a bowl of yogurt with added probiotics.
How Can You Tell If a Berry Has Gone Bad?
When you’re about to dig into your bowl of fresh berries, you can usually tell from a quick visual once-over if they are still good to eat.
Berries that are going bad will lose their firm texture and may begin to break down in some areas, which can lead to leaking and bruising.
Any mold growth will be visible to the naked eye and once one berry is moldy, you will need to closely inspect the rest to see if they’re contaminated as well.
Throw out the moldy fruit and any other pieces that were touching it and consider rinsing the rest before consuming.
Any strong and foul odor from the berries is a sign that they’re no longer ideal for eating and you should toss them instead. Berries should have a sweet aroma and anything else should be cause for concern.
Raspberries and strawberries that have gone bad will likely be discolored and will no longer be the vibrant red color of a fresh berry.
Strawberries may be browned in some areas and if there’s no mold present, you may be able to slice off the affected region and enjoy the rest.