Avocados are a fruit must-have for many, serving as the perfect addition to any breakfast, but there’s nothing more disappointing than cutting into the fruit only to find it’s turned brown and spoiled.
It’s annoying to waste both money and food, but it appears many have been storing avocados incorrectly – they should never be kept in water.
Amy Lynn Cross, a chef and founder of The Cross Legacy, has claimed that while keeping avocados in water is a common food storage trick seen on social media, it promotes bacteria growth which can spoil the fruit.
She stated: “These tips show people storing whole and halved avocados in water to keep them fresh longer. It has been all over social media. In reality, it could be making you sick.”
However, there’s a safer and more effective method to keep your avocados fresh for up to a month longer.
Instead of having to bin rotten fruit, the optimal way to store avocados is to wash them thoroughly to eliminate bacteria, dry them, and then put them in an air-tight container.
Amy shared her “secret elixir” for washing avocados which she claims is “actually quite simple and easy on the budget”.
She said: “It’s composed of two ingredients: cool water and five percent distilled white vinegar.”
While it might sound odd, washing avocados and other fruits in a vinegar solution will kill any bacteria or contamination on the skin, helping to prolong their shelf life.
Start by peeling off any stickers from your avocado skins, then dunk them in a bowl of icy water mixed with 60ml white vinegar.
You’ll want to set your timer for precisely two minutes before popping the avocados in and be sure not to keep them submerged any longer, as you might end up tasting vinegar in your fruit.
When the time is up, give them a good rinse under the tap to wash away that vinegary mix.
After, wipe them down and let the avocados air dry until they’re completely water-free
Households must wait until avocados are bone dry before tucking them away as dampness could spell disaster, inviting nasty bacteria and mould.
