Introduction: When selecting strawberries, try to choose those that are brightly colored, shiny, firm, and feel hard to the touch.
How to Select Strawberries:
1. When picking, try to choose strawberries that are brightly colored, shiny, firm, and feel hard to the touch.
2. Avoid buying strawberries that are too large, or ones that are overly watery.
3. Do not buy strawberries that are oddly shaped or deformed.
4. It is best to choose strawberries with a bright surface and fine, tiny hairs.
How to Clean Strawberries:
1. First, rinse them under running tap water for a few minutes to remove most germs, pesticides, and other contaminants from the surface. Note: Do not soak them in water first, as this may cause pesticides to dissolve into the water, which the strawberries could then absorb and seep into the fruit.
2. Soak the strawberries in rice water (preferably the first rinse water) and light salt water (add half a spoonful of salt to a basin of water) for 3 minutes. These serve different purposes: the alkaline rice water helps break down pesticides, while the light salt water can cause insects and eggs attached to the surface to float, making them easier to rinse away, and it also has a disinfecting effect.
3. Rinse again under running tap water to wash off the rice water, salt water, and any remaining harmful substances. A final rinse with clean water (or boiled and cooled water) is sufficient.
Additionally, it is important to remember: Do not remove the stems from the strawberries before washing them, as this could allow pesticides and contaminants to seep into the fruit through the "wound," causing further contamination.