Storing Your Avocados in Water Isn’t Safe, According to the FDA

There's really no feeling that compares to the satisfaction of slicing open an avocado to reveal perfect ripeness. Whether you waited patiently for it to ripen naturally on the counter, or you used one of the many known hacks to ripen your avocado faster, it's truly sad if you miss that peak moment in an avocado's life.

I've used tricks to save half an avocado like brushing it with oil or freezing peeled chunks to use in smoothies. But recently, I've seen a lot of people try a viral hack where they store whole ripe avocados in water to keep them at perfect ripeness. But can you really store ripe avocados in water in the fridge? Will they stay fresh or turn brown? And more importantly, is it safe?

Does the Storing Ripe Avocados in Water Work?

I had to try it for myself. I recently bought a bunch of avocados on sale and couldn't eat enough tofu avocado toast and avocado basil pasta to use them all while ripe. So I popped one in a mason jar filled with water, and when I sliced it open five days later, it was still flawless. (Just feast your eyes on this perfection!) In an effort to be as scientific as possible, I also put a ripe avocado in the fridge without submerging it in water. After five days, that one was a little brown when I sliced it open. It appears storing avocados in water in the fridge really works.

Is It Safe to Store Avocados in Water in the Fridge?

This magic trick might work, but you've heard it before: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately, storing your ripe avocados in water in the fridge is not safe, and the Food and Drug Administration does not recommend it. "The main concern is with the possibility that any residual human pathogens (Listeria or Salmonella) that may be residing on the avocado surface, may potentially multiply during the storage when submerged in water," an FDA spokesperson told "Today." And washing the avocado skin after it's been soaking in the water won't guarantee that your avocado isn't contaminated; FDA research has shown that pathogens like Listeria can seep into the pulp of the avocados.

Washing your avocados beforehand doesn't solve the problem, either. The FDA advises that you should always wash produce like avocados thoroughly under running water with a scrub brush to wash off potential pathogens like Listeria. But even if you do so, you can't guarantee that your avocado will be 100-percent pathogen-free, and bacteria can multiply in cold temperatures, so it's just not worth the risk.

How Should You Store Ripe Avocados?

So how can you store those perfectly ripe avocados? The best option I've personally found is to store ripe avocados in the freezer. You can freeze them whole. When you're ready to use one, take it out of the freezer and run it under hot water. Let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes, peel, and enjoy! Just note that the texture might be a little different.

Another valuable tip is to store unripe avocados in the fridge like you would any other produce. They won't ripen much in the cold temperatures, so you have more time to use them. When you're ready, take one out so it can ripen on the counter, which takes a couple of days. This ensures you always have a perfectly ripe avocado when you want one, and the others won't go bad. Genius!