How to Cut Strawberries Faster Than Your Kids Can Eat Them

This is how to cut strawberries efficiently when your family eats them as quick as you can cut them.

We go through a lot of fresh strawberries in our house.

My kids eat them like candy – and I would much rather that they eat strawberries instead of candy, so I try to keep up with their appetites.

Over the years I have come up with sort of a system of keeping cut strawberries fresh and available – so I thought I would share it with you.

Let’s start with these universal truths …

Truth: If You Don’t Cut Strawberries, They Won’t Eat Them

It makes no difference that my children are teenagers and perfectly capable of cutting strawberries for themselves.

If I don’t cut them, they won’t eat them. And the fruit will rot in the containers they came in inside the refrigerator.

Or, the family may be motivated enough to slice up a few strawberries to snack on, but the rest of the batch will be forgotten in the refrigerator to wither away.

Truth: You Must Cut ALL the Strawberries

If you cut all the strawberries, they will be gone within hours.

And even if they are not, they store perfectly fine in the refrigerator for a few days – if they last that long.

Save yourself time and prep them all at once so they are ready to eat when  people are hungry.

Now that we got those points out of the way – let’s talk process.

What You Will Need

• a colander
• a sharp knife
• a glass bowl for serving/storage or a berry box

The Process: How to Cut Strawberries

Set the Stage

Because I am right handed, I set my stage up as follows.

Typically, I buy 2 boxes of strawberries at a time. I open both of these boxes and set them on the kitchen counter to the left of my sink.

Near the boxes of strawberries, I also place my empty serving/storage bowl.

The empty colander goes inside the sink on the right side.

Wash the Strawberries

Now I turn on the faucet with spout positioned to the left of the colander.

Using my right hand I pluck a strawberry out of the box on my left.

I rip the green leaves off the top with my left hand and dump them into the sink (because we have a garbage disposal).

Then I wash the hulled strawberry under the water stream with my right hand and dump the washed strawberry into the colander that is already in the sink.

I repeat the process – working left to right – with every single strawberry in both boxes.

Then I turn off the water.

Prep the Strawberries

Once the strawberries are washed, it is time to cut the tops off and slice them in half for serving.

Working right to left this time, I pick a strawberry out of the colander that is still in the sink.

Using a sharp knife, I slice the top off each strawberry and let the top drop into the sink (again – we have a garbage disposal).

Then I slice the strawberry in half – being careful, of course, not to cut myself.

I then dump both strawberry halves into the serving/storage bowl on my left.

I repeat the process until all the strawberries are sliced and ready to serve.

That’s it.

Related Article: How To Shred Brussels Sprouts

How to Keep Strawberries Fresh After Cutting

If you use this process it is likely that your strawberries will be gone in one sitting. So, you won’t even have to worry about how to keep strawberries fresh after cutting.

But, if you happen to have some left that you have to store, my preference is to use either a:

• clear glass serving/storage bowl – because if people can see what is inside, they are more likely to eat it before it spoils, or
• a berry box – these neat little boxes have a mini colander that nests inside the outside box, thus keeping moisture away from the fruit and in theory, keeping it fresh longer.

Just a little tip – when I use a berry box to store fresh fruit or vegetables, I will label it with a sticky note, so the family can at least read about what lies within.

It amazes me that no one is actually curious enough to actually open the box and see for themselves. Please tell me that my kids aren’t the only ones …

Related Post: Yes You Can Find Replacement Pyrex Lids

To Sum It Up

Work right to left, then left to right (if you are right handed).

I feel a little silly writing a whole blog post about how to cut strawberries – but here’s the thing.

I have watched my grown children prepare strawberries with the weirdest of methods – all of which don’t make sense and take a lot of time.

My process ensures that each strawberry is reasonable washed. And, because you rip the green leaves off before you cut the tops off the strawberries, you don’t end up cutting off too much of the fruit.

So – what say you? Do you have a strawberry process to share? Tell us in the comments below.

A Strawberry Recipe You Might Like

If your family is a fan of fresh strawberries, you might enjoy this Homemade Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles Recipe.

I make it with plain Instant Pot Yogurt (recipe here) – but you can use store bought yogurt as well.