We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Strawberry season is here, but it’s oh-so-quick and fleeting. So, I’m scrambling like everyone else to take advantage of as many peak-season berries while I can. Once I’ve had my fill of eating them straight up, I turn to recipes that require them in large amounts, like galettes and shortcakes. And though there are few things I love more than a dessert made with the sweetest summer fruit, I don’t love the amount of work that comes with prepping fresh strawberries.
But thankfully, as we’ve seen with plenty of formerly laborious tasks, there’s a time-saving internet hack to try — and this one comes from Joanna Gaines, who posted this technique for hulling strawberries on Instagram reels and blew more than a few people’s minds.
Gaines’ strawberry hulling technique requires only a straw — that’s it! (She uses a chic reusable glass straw, and I tested with a reusable metal straw.)
To hull your strawberry, simply insert the straw at the bottom tip of the strawberry, pushing up through the center until it comes out the other side, removing the stem and leaves along with the center of the strawberry. It’s so incredibly simple that you’ll wonder why you hadn’t thought of using a straw sooner.
My Honest Opinion of Joanna Gaines’ Strawberry Hulling Hack
This technique worked surprisingly well! The straw was easy to insert into the fruit, and the stem and leaves popped off easily in one clean piece. I’m pretty quick with a paring knife but this hack would definitely cut down on prep time when I’ve got a mountain of berries to tackle.
My only complaint is that the straw takes a good amount of perfectly usable fruit with it, especially when it comes to smaller berries. I’d suggest hanging on to those bits for a post-bake snack.