A disheartening sight for any avocado lover is to cut into a ripe fruit and find it brown and rotten.
However, as Amy Lynn Cross, chef and founder of The Cross Legacy, says, many people unwittingly encourage avocado spoilage by storing them improperly, specifically in water. The food expert has shared her “secret” for keeping the stone fruit fresh for as long as possible.
Contrary to popular belief perpetuated through social media tips and tricks, she warns: “These tips show that people store whole or halved avocados in water to keep them fresh longer. It’s been all over social media. It could actually be making you sick.”
It turns out that a submerged avocado creates an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. The alternative he proposes can keep an avocado fresh for up to a month longer with proper washing and storage protocols.
Instead, she shares her procedure: “My ‘secret elixir’ for washing avocados is actually quite simple and inexpensive. It’s made up of two ingredients: cold water and five percent distilled white vinegar.”
This unconventional method of washing fruits with a vinegar solution helps prolong their longevity by disinfecting any contamination present on the skin, Express reports.
First, remove the slices from the avocados and place them in a bowl filled with cold water mixed with 60ml of white vinegar. Set the timer for two minutes before dipping the avocados in, but be careful not to soak the fruit for a second longer, or you might end up with a strong vinegar smell in your next bite.
After the countdown, rinse them thoroughly under the tap to remove the vinegar mixture and let them air out until they are completely dry. It is essential to ensure that avocados are completely dry before storing them, as moisture is a breeding ground for germs and mold.
Now, if the avocados are still firm to the touch, store them in a fruit bowl, but if they have reached their peak ripeness, place them in the refrigerator, where the cold will halt their ripening process.
One trick for preserving them is to group avocados with lemons in the refrigerator. They are like best friends that protect each other from spoiling too soon. However, don’t group avocados with apples or bananas unless you want to speed up ripening.
Amy shared her wisdom: “I always keep my avocados in a drawer next to my lemons. It turns out they help each other last longer.” I won’t get into the scientific details, but unlike lemons, apples and bananas don’t get along with avocados – they speed up the ripening process.”
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