The day I brought home a bright red carton of fresh strawberries, I was already dreaming of sweet, juicy bites throughout the week. But by the very next morning, that excitement turned to frustration—half the berries had turned mushy, and one even had a patch of mold. Watching them spoil overnight felt like tossing joy straight into the trash.

Determined not to let that happen again, I dug into some research and found a surprisingly simple trick that changed everything.Instead of just placing the strawberries straight in the fridge, I now start by inspecting each one, pulling out any that are too soft or starting to mold. I learned the hard way that one bad berry really can ruin the bunch.