I am so frustrated with buying fresh raspberries, only to end up having to toss out the bottom layer of the container. It seems like 98% of the time they turn out to be disgusting garbage thimbles of mold. Can’t they last longer than TWO DAYS, for crying out loud?

Can you relate? If so, then read on for what I found on www.seriouseats.com. Turns out, they have a team of researchers that wondered about this very thing.

First, we need to understand this fruit and its storage needs. Raspberries, like strawberries, are aggregate fruits. They are picked at the peak of their ripeness and have a famously short shelf life (uh…yeah). In fact, raspberries are considered the most perishable and fragile fruit.

Given what’s known about how delicate and permeable raspberries are, you should plan to eat them within the first few days after purchase no matter how you plan to store them. But there are a few things you can do to extend their life to about 7 days, if you’re feeling real ambitious:

Remove any moldy berries from original packaging.

Gently remove berries from their container (be so very careful—jostle them as little as possible).

Double-line the container (or a shallow bowl) with paper towels. Put the berries back in the container in a single layer and refrigerate immediately.

Rinse well (and gently pat dry) right before consuming.

You can see why people opt to grow their own—fresh berries at your fingertips. Well, anyway, we’ll be trying these tips this season, crossing our fingers that maybe this time our berries can last longer than a minute.

In appreciation for your patience with my whining, here’s a delicious raspberry-oriented recipe that really sparkles. It’s from Liz, of the site “That Skinny Chick Can Bake” (www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com). Here are a few tips she has for making perfect crumbles and crisps:

• Even though the berries become soft and juicy more quickly than other fruit, you must wait until the middle of the crisp is bubbly. Bringing the center of the crisp up to a boiling temperature allows the cornstarch to gel the filling.
• If you pull your crisp out too early, the filling will be watery. It will still be incredibly delicious, but it’s best if the juices are thick and glossy.
• Crisp topping and crumble topping recipes can vary. A simple topping of sugar, butter, and flour is a classic that never fails.
• After mixing the topping ingredients, use your hands to work the mixture and pinch it into crumbs.
• You can pop a fruit crisp under the broiler to brown the topping if it’s a tad bit too pale. But be mindful and watch carefully as it can easily burn.
• Keep this recipe handy—raspberry season will be here before you know it. And when you bring home that perfect container of berries, be sure to hustle. Raspberries wait for n