Avocado lovers, take note as your favourite creamy fruit might be going off too soon because you’re storing it all wrong.
The disappointment of a brown, spoiled avocado is real, especially when it feels like throwing money down the drain.
But if you’ve been following the latest social media trend and keeping your avocados submerged in water, stop right now.
Experts have warned that this popular hack could be a health hazard as it promotes bacterial growth.
Instead, the TikTok page @fitology11 has shared a nifty way for whole and half avocados to be stored to keep them “fresh and green for longer” in a video.
In the video, the expert explained: “If you store whole avocados in your crisper [fridge] drawer with a lemon, they will say fresh for a month after you first buy them.”
When exposed to cold temperatures, the enzymes responsible for ripening slow down, thus prolonging the shelf life of the avocado.
This is particularly important for ripe avocados, as they are already at their peak ripeness and can quickly become overripe if left at room temperature.
For those looking to keep half an avocado as fresh as possible for “a week” longer, they need to store it in a jar that has a metal lid, however, this only works if the pit is still attached.
The pros explained: “The pit helps reduce the surface area that gets exposed to air, slowing down the browning process.”
Alternatively, you can drizzle a bit of lemon or lime juice on the exposed flesh to keep it fresh longer.
Citrus juice contains citric acid, which helps to slow down the oxidation process that causes avocados to turn brown.
When avocados are exposed to air, enzymes in the fruit react with oxygen, turning the flesh brown.
The citric acid in citrus juice helps to stop these enzymes, preserving the green colour of the avocado.
