The Only Way You Should Store Your Raspberries, According to Driscoll’s

Raspberry season is about to begin, and while you can typically find fresh raspberries in your local grocery store year-round, the fruit’s juicy sweetness truly shines from June to September, when it doesn’t need to travel as far to make it to your kitchen. When you finally get your hands on fresh, in-season raspberries, you’ll want to store them correctly. After all, even when stored right, raspberries are delicate and will typically last just two days before they are past their peak.

For advice on how best to store berries, we turned to Driscoll’s. The company is the global market leader in not just raspberries, but also blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. Founded in 1872 in Pajaro Valley, California, the company has grown to work with more than 900 independent farmers. As a result, they now provide berries year-round to customers in North America, Australia, Europe and China. Driscoll’s vice president of marketing, Frances Dillard, tells EatingWell that the best way to store your berries is in the fridge before washing them. Keep reading for more tips on storing your raspberries for optimal freshness. 

How to Store Raspberries in the Fridge 

The first step to keeping your raspberries fresh and flavorful actually begins at your grocery store or farmers market, Dillard says. Keep an eye out for packages with dry, brightly colored berries—this is a good sign that they’re fully ripe. Pass over containers with visible moisture or discolored berries. 

Once home, keep raspberries away from the sink. Dry berries will stay fresh for longer than those that have been exposed to moisture. “Keep the raspberries in their original clamshell container, which is designed with slots and holes to allow airflow and help them stay fresh longer,” Dillard adds. 

To keep your berries fresh, you’ll need to be strategic about where they’re placed in the fridge. Ideally, they should be kept between 32°F and 34°F and kept closer to the front of the fridge, rather than tucked in the back or inside the crisper drawer. “The crisper can be more humid, which may cause the berries to dry out faster,” Dillard explains. The back of the refrigerator is typically the coldest spot in the fridge, so Dillard says the front is more likely to be in the optimal range for berries. 

When stored this way, Dillard says your raspberries should stay fresh for about two days. Just make sure you take them out of the fridge a bit early when you are ready to eat them:  “For the best taste, let them come to room temperature before serving. This helps bring out their natural sweetness,” she says. 

When to Wash Your Raspberries

You know those viral fridge-stocking videos where folks rinse their berries and toss them in the salad spinner before storing them in a cute fridge container? Dillard says that’s not the best way to keep your raspberries fresh. “Washing them before storing adds moisture, which can lead to quicker spoilage since raspberries are especially delicate,” she says. Instead, keep them dry until you’re ready to eat them, then rinse your raspberries with cold water right before snacking. 

How to Freeze Fresh Raspberries 

According to Dillard, the only time you shouldn’t follow the above washing advice is when you plan to freeze your raspberries. Frozen raspberries are a perfect addition to smoothies and are great for baking. Plus, freezing in-season berries is a budget-friendly way to enjoy them year-round—just make sure to polish them off within 12–18 months for optimal flavor.

To freeze yours and keep the berries from sticking together, Dillard recommends the following: 

1. Wash raspberries in cool water and gently pat them dry. 
2. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and place raspberries on top in an even, single layer. 
3. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and let raspberries freeze until they’re solid. Depending on the size of your freezer and how many berries you’re freezing, you may need to use a smaller pan and/or do this step in batches.
4. Once the raspberries are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container, such as a freezer zip-top bag. 

The Bottom Line 

To maximize freshness, raspberries should be stored toward the front of the fridge, rather than the crisper drawer, and kept in their original clamshell packaging. To minimize spoilage, wait to wash raspberries until you’re ready to eat them or just before adding them to recipes. When freezing raspberries, give them a quick rinse in the sink and freeze them in an even layer on a wax paper–lined sheet pan before transferring them to a freezer-safe container.