Save the Berries!!

We're in the midst of a late-summer berry bonanza in North Texas. Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries are all available, sweet and juicy, and at prices too good to let pass.

But berries are notoriously tough to keep fresh when they are this, well, fresh.

Unless you know a little trick: Vinegar. I stumbled across this tip on Pinterest last year and have followed it ever since with great results.

Vinegar, that inexpensive household friend, helps slow the growth of mold by killing bacteria lurking on your berries.

Simply mix one part vinegar to 10 parts water. Dump your berries in and swirl them around a bit so they all get nice and wet.

Then drain thoroughly.

Your berries will stay nice and fuzz-free for at least a week - no small miracle. Mine stay good even longer, since I'm rinsing, draining, drying and freezing as fast as I can so we can enjoy berries for months to come.