Shea Simmons
Update: The Food and Drug Administration has cautioned against this avocado storage method. The agency points to a potential for bacterial spread when storing avocados in water and recommends the method not be used. You can find further reporting here.
When it comes to finicky produce, avocados are arguably some of the most difficult to keep fresh. A day after you buy one of the beloved fruits they seem to be going bad, but there’s some good news: there’s a hack for that.
Storing your whole avocados submerged in water in your refrigerator will keep them good for up to four weeks according to one Facebook user.
Lisa Couch Williams, a realtor in South Carolina, went viral when she posted the hack to her Facebook. In the post—which has now garnered over 18,000 likes and 182,000 shares—Couch explained that she fills a glass vessel with water and adds her whole avocados into the water. She places it in the fridge, and according to her post, the fruit will last up to four whole weeks!
🚨🚨avocado lovers 🚨🚨sit down because I’m about to change your life. Did y’all already know this?? Avocados stay good…
Posted by Lisa Couch Williams on Thursday, February 17, 2022
In her post, Couch is quick to explain that she’s not a produce expert and can’t exactly explain why the hack works. But there is a reason.
Cold temperatures, like those in your fridge, help to slow the ripening process of avocados. As for the water, the fruit starts to rot as they lose moisture, so the water helps keep them from drying out. When you combine the cold temperatures and the moisture, your avocados are in an environment to stay fresh longer.
The next time you head to the grocery store and pick up some avocados, you might want to try storing them in your fridge. When you do use them, don’t forget that there’s also a clever hack for keeping cut avocados from browning.
[Via Hunker]
