Popularized by a viral video on TikTok, this cooking tip promises to help you better preserve your avocados… Doctors reacted quickly and warned about the dangers of this practice and its harmful effects on health.
Much appreciated, especially by vegans but also by lovers of poke bowls, avocado toast, makis or simple salads, avocados have a reputation for being healthy and nutritionally rich “superfoods”. Unfortunately, this fruit has a drawback: once opened, it is very poorly preserved as it quickly blackens, which makes it look much less appetizing. There are many tips on the web to avoid this problem and promise you ideal conservation of your avocado.
The latest one has caused a stir on TikTok, where it is circulating at full speed. And with good reason: all you need is a little water… According to this “miracle” tip, you just have to submerge half of a cut avocado, including the skin, in water to keep it fresh for up to two or three days. The proof is that, according to its followers, the fruit maintains its beautiful green color.
Listeria present on the skin of many avocados
This was enough to alert many experts and doctors, such as Professor Sven-David Müller interviewed by the German site Fitbook. In reality, the problem lies in the bacteria present on the skin of the avocado that contaminate the water and end up in the pulp: “It really is one of the stupidest ideas!” warns this nutritionist. Therefore, this avocado bath would be an excellent way to spread bacteria such as Listeria, which, as we know, grows very quickly in water.
However, these pathogens already come into contact with the pulp when cutting or peeling the avocado. Contamination with Listeria (known as Listeriosis) can cause diarrhea, fever or even muscle aches and can be particularly dangerous for people who already have a weakened immune system.
And don’t try to escape it by putting your soaked half avocado in the fridge. This will in no way stop the spread of Listeria, which is already present on the skin of many avocados consumed each year. In 2018, a US study published by the Food and Drug Administration showed that almost a fifth of avocados contained it on their skin (17% exactly out of more than 1,600 avocados analysed for the study).
Forget about the half avocado on your plate or wash it with plenty of water first!
Therefore, one piece of advice should not be overlooked: before opening and eating an avocado, rinse it with water before peeling it. Once you remove the skin, throw it away and wash your hands and the cutting board. It is also recommended to wash the fruit, even when peeled, before eating it.
Finally, if you really want to preserve your already opened and not completely consumed avocado, there is a healthier method than the one circulating on TikTok: sprinkle it with lemon juice before placing it in an airtight container in the fridge. This way, your avocado can be preserved for another day or two and consumed, for example to prepare an excellent guacamole! Finally, remember that if your avocado has already been opened for a few minutes or hours and has already turned black due to oxidation, it is still completely edible. It will just be a little less visually appealing…
