If you sell chocolate-covered
strawberries for the holidays, more specifically Valentine’s Day, and have
found yourself working from sunrise to sunset to keep up with demand, these tips
are for you! Keep reading for three pro tips to maximize your efforts and
extend the shelf-life of these delicate fruit confections.
1. Clear communication
Although this first step will not affect the longevity of your strawberries, it will help you better prepare for the holiday. Requiring advanced orders for chocolate-covered strawberries helps create expectations for your production needs. Clear communication to your customer base is key to ensure their expectations are met too.
2. Gently clean and air dry
The way you clean your berries could be contributing to unwanted mold. Follow these step-by-step instructions to minimize moisture and bacteria.
- Start by wiping away dirt with a clean towel and discard unwanted mushy or moldy berries.
- Gently submerge berries in a solution of cold water and non-pasteurized apple cider vinegar (use approximately 3 tablespoons for every one gallon of water) for five minutes. The acidity of the vinegar will kill spores and bacteria on the fresh berries.
- Next, place the strawberries in a colander to drain excess water before air drying berries in a single layer on top of a dry towel.
- Once the strawberries are dry, they can be placed in their original containers, which have since been cleaned and dried as well, until they are ready to dip.
3. Chilled storage
To keep chocolate-covered
strawberries overnight, place dipped strawberries on containers, which are on
top of gel ice packs and they can store for up to 48 hours.
These simple tips can significantly
improve the way you prepare for Valentine’s Day. Now with all that extra time
saved up, you may be able to devote more of it to other areas of your business
or spend it with family and, hopefully, get more sleep on the morning of
Valentine’s Day!
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