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Forum -> Household Management -> Kosher Kitchen
Is there anything to do for strawberry bugs?



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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 08 2020, 8:37 pm
I hadn't seen thrips (I think that's what they are?) in strawberries in nearly a decade and now I've had twice in the last few weeks (from different stores in very different parts of NY state!)

The first time I was so grossed out I threw away 3 boxes of beautiful berries. Some time later I got over it, bought more strawberries, they were fine, I figured the first was a fluke.

So now I bought more, and lo, buggies. Not as many as the first episode but they are definitely there.

Is there any way to wash out the bugs or do I need to trash more strawberries again?

Also is this an epidemic or what? Can we expect it to end - when? Is there a better place to buy strawberries?

Ugh. Disappointed. Fortunately I had grapes around to munch but still. Also tis the season for cheap sales on beautiful ripe fresh berries. Ugh.
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amother
cornflower


 

Post Wed, Jul 08 2020, 8:58 pm
I use the CRC guidelines for checking and haven’t had issues.
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malki2




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 08 2020, 9:03 pm
About ten years ago, I saw a video made by a mashgiach. He washed a batch of strawberries with soap water, then checked the batch. He displayed about three worms crawling out of the washed strawberries.
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 08 2020, 9:40 pm
amother [ cornflower ] wrote:
I use the CRC guidelines for checking and haven’t had issues.

Do they tell you what to do if you find bugs, or only how to check to see if there are bugs in the first place?
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amother
Brown


 

Post Wed, Jul 08 2020, 10:23 pm
I use salt water. Cut off the leaves and let sit for like 10 min.
I find bugs 70% of the time.
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amother
Orange


 

Post Wed, Jul 08 2020, 10:34 pm
My DD is newly back from Sem. She can teach you. In my house we now eat soapberries, as they take about 45 minutes to prepare and that is what they taste like.
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jul 08 2020, 10:56 pm
To clarify what I thought was already clear, I am not asking how to find or check for bugs. I am asking whether there is any hope once they are found or if the whole batch is garbage.
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amother
Orange


 

Post Wed, Jul 08 2020, 11:02 pm
Typically, I find a single one can be a one off, but once you see two or 3, don't even bother. Same is true for cauliflower, brusselsprouts, and lice.
(Just to be clear, with the produce I throw it out, with lice, I don't toss the kid as tempting as it may be in the moment. I role up my sleeves sigh and resign myself to two weeks of diligent h-ll.)
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amother
Mistyrose


 

Post Thu, Jul 09 2020, 12:38 am
seeker wrote:
Do they tell you what to do if you find bugs, or only how to check to see if there are bugs in the first place?

According to the CRC, if they are prepared as they instruct, they don't need checking. So presumably they feel that their method gets rid of bugs.
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giselle




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 09 2020, 3:00 am
amother [ Orange ] wrote:
My DD is newly back from Sem. She can teach you. In my house we now eat soapberries, as they take about 45 minutes to prepare and that is what they taste like.

😂

Use fruit and vegetable wash. No soapy taste.
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amother
Brown


 

Post Thu, Jul 09 2020, 4:08 am
seeker wrote:
To clarify what I thought was already clear, I am not asking how to find or check for bugs. I am asking whether there is any hope once they are found or if the whole batch is garbage.


Yeah so that’s why I use salt water. The salt hurts the bugs, which come out of the strawberry looking for relief.
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amother
Aubergine


 

Post Thu, Jul 09 2020, 6:40 am
I always soak strawberries in soapy water, agitate them a bit with my hand, then rinse under running water and eat.
How exactly do you find the bugs? You look in the water while soaking? Or you pour out the water and the bug is still on the fruit?? Please explain.
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amother
Orange


 

Post Thu, Jul 09 2020, 6:47 am
amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:
I always soak strawberries in soapy water, agitate them a bit with my hand, then rinse under running water and eat.
How exactly do you find the bugs? You look in the water while soaking? Or you pour out the water and the bug is still on the fruit?? Please explain.

Do your berries not taste like soap? Between that amount of soap she claims to require and the length of time they need to sit, that the soap has so deeply penetrated the berry from soaking, that it doesn't wash off, it has been absorbed into the cells of the fruit.
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giselle




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 09 2020, 7:23 am
amother [ Orange ] wrote:
Do your berries not taste like soap? Between that amount of soap she claims to require and the length of time they need to sit, that the soap has so deeply penetrated the berry from soaking, that it doesn't wash off, it has been absorbed into the cells of the fruit.

I was taught to cut off the green stem, being careful not to cut too much that the opening to the middle of the strawberry is exposed - otherwise the soapy taste gets inside. It also only needs to soak for 5 minutes I believe. Either way I use fruit and veg wash which doesn’t leave a taste.
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Frumme




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jul 09 2020, 7:26 am
seeker wrote:
To clarify what I thought was already clear, I am not asking how to find or check for bugs. I am asking whether there is any hope once they are found or if the whole batch is garbage.


DH trained as a mashgiach. He remembers once he was asked to wash a bunch of cilantro. Lo and behold, it was infested! He told this to the supervisor, who shrugged and told him to keep washing it until it was clean. So that's what DH did!

The truth is, many of the fruits and vegetables that kashrus companies say to not eat (or highly recommend not eating) simply say that not because we can't eat them but because it can be labor intensive to check (e.g. not something to do on a restaurant scale). There are different levels of infestation. If it's lightly infested, like say fresh bok choy from the local Asian market, it's very possible to keep washing and rechecking until it's clean. If it is heavily infested, with live bugs who have burrowed into the fruit or vegetable itself, it's not worth it to check.

Most people stop checking and chuck the produce if there are still bugs after 3 washes. You can check more, but don't drive yourself crazy.
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