Popularized via a viral video on TikTok, this kitchen trick promises to help you better preserve your avocados… Doctors reacted quickly and warned of the danger of this practice and its harmfulness to health.
Much appreciated, especially by vegans but also fans of poke bowls, avocado toasts, makis or simple salads, avocados have the reputation of healthy and very nutritionally rich “superfoods”. Alas, this fruit has a disadvantage: it does not keep well once opened since it turns black quickly, which makes it look much less appetizing. On the web, many tips are flourishing to avoid this inconvenience and promise you an ideal conservation of your avocado.
The latest has made the buzz on the TikTok network where it is circulating at full speed. And for good reason: all you need is a little water… According to this “miracle” trick, all you need to do is immerse half of a cut avocado, including the skin, in water to keep it fresh up to two or three days. The proof is according to its followers, the fruit keeps its beautiful green color.
It was enough to alert many experts and doctors, like Professor Sven-David Müller interviewed by the German site Fitbook. The problem actually lies in the bacteria present on the skin of the avocado which contaminates the water and thus ends up in the flesh: “This is really one of the most stupid ideas!” warns this medical specialist in nutrition. This avocado bath would be a great way to spread bacteria such as Listeria, which we know grows very quickly in water.
However, these pathogens already come into contact with the flesh when cutting or peeling the avocado. A contamination with Listeria (known as Listeriosis) can cause diarrhea, fever or even muscle pain and can be particularly dangerous for people who already have a weakened immune system.
And don’t try to escape it by placing your soaked half avocado in the fridge. This will in no way slow the spread of Listeria, already present on the skin of many avocados consumed each year. In 2018, an American study published by the Food and Drug Administration showed that nearly a fifth of avocados contained it on their skin (17% exactly out of more than 1600 avocados analyzed for the study).
One piece of advice should therefore not be overlooked: before opening and eating an avocado, run it under water before peeling it. Once the skin is removed, throw it away and clean your hands and the cutting board. Washing the fruit even when peeled before consuming it is also recommended.
Finally, if you really want to keep your avocado already opened and not entirely consumed, a method is healthier than the one circulating on TikTok: sprinkle it with lemon juice before putting it in an airtight box in the refrigerator. Your avocado can thus be stored for one or two days longer and consumed, for example to make an excellent guacamole! Finally, remember if your avocado, which has been open for a few minutes or hours, has already darkened due to oxidation, it is still quite edible. It will just be a little less visually appealing…
