We all love a life hack, especially when it saves us time, money, or in this case, avocados. But like everything on social media, they should be usually approached with caution.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against people trying out a viral TikTok hack that involves submerging avocados in water and storing them in the fridge.
The aim of the game is to extend the life of your avo, and avoid them turning to mush or all ripening at the same time, but it turns out keeping them underwater could create a breeding ground for bacteria.
Lots of the TikToks praising this process claim it will keep your avocados fresh for up to a month, but the FDA says nasties like Listeria and Salmonella could multiply when stored in water.
You might think the hardy exterior of an avocado could keep such things at bay, but FDA scientists say that's not necessarily the case if they're left in there long enough, meaning that not even disinfecting the skin prior to slicing would remove contamination.
Listeria infections can be particularly dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, older adults and people with weak immune systems.
Meanwhile, Salmonella can be an extremely unpleasant infection to deal with, causing serious stomach cramps, far too many trips to the bathroom and often a fever to go along with it.
According to Heathline, if you're really keen to make sure your avocados don't go to waste, it's safe to freeze them, peeled and pitted, in small chunks for 4-6 months.
We think we'll play it safe and just make a bunch of guacamole next time we have too many ripe avos.
