It's Berry Season in the Northwest

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Who doesn't love a great strawberry, blueberry or raspberry fresh off the vine? I remember berry picking with my family as early as age five. It was a family affair to go out to the berry fields each year starting early June for strawberries. We would always pick one or two flats of berries. You could usually find me and my siblings sitting in the middle of a row of berries eating more than we picked. The parents would do most of picking of berries that actually made it home. Then once we got home with the berries, mom and dad would start the process of cleaning them to make jams and jellies. I do not remember the berries lasting more than a day at our house. Still the best tasting berries are right off the vine sitting in the middle of the row.

Have you ever noticed that once you pick fresh berries off the vine they begin to spoil almost immediately? Over the years I have tried many different containers and plastic bags trying to keep the berries from spoiling. I finally had given up on the idea of having berries in the refrigerator for more than one day. That was until my daughter told me about a great way to keep berries for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. She found these containers out of necessity since both of my granddaughters are "berry monsters" and will eat an entire carton of berries in less than an hour if left unattended. She wanted to be able to keep a few berries hidden in the back of the refrigerator for her and her hubby to enjoy as well.

The Best Berry (and produce) containers!

OXO Greensaver Produce Keepers - a complete food storage system designed to keep produce fresher longer. You waste less and save more.

Other great features include:

The enhanced replaceable carbon filter traps and absorbs ethylene gas, slowing down the aging process and reducing spoilage. This filter lasts for 90 days.

The elevated colander lifts produce up and away from the container walls to promote airflow from all sides and prevent rotting.

The adjustable vent top on each of the Produce Keeper maintains optimum humidity levels for different kinds of produce, keeping them crisp and fresh.

OXO Greensaver Produce Keepers - comes in a variety of sizes (small, medium, large) Priced from $12.99 to $21

So before you go picking berries or purchase a crate from your favorite farmer's market, go out a get a few OXO Greensaver Produce Keepers.

Helpful reminder when picking berries: Berries do not ripen off the vine, so make sure you pick the ripest berry to start with!

And for a great dairy-free topping option try: So Delicious Dairy Free Coco Whip Coconut Whipped Topping -- you can find at your local Whole Foods!