Avocados are a healthy breakfast staple due to how tasty and creamy they are, but the way most people store them is not only wrong but can be dangerous. 

It is a popular hack online to keep sliced avocados fresh by storing them in water, but this is a health risk as avocados naturally carry a lot of bacteria on their skin which can multiply in water. 

Keeping an avocado submerged in water can cause salmonella and a serious infection called listeria to seep into the fruit and make it more likely you will get sick. 

Not only will storing bacteria this way cause contamination but avocados are a delicate fruit, and letting them absorb so much moisture will simply make them mushy and affect their taste. 

Instead, Joanne, a cooking expert and cofounder of Inspired Taste has shared that the proper way to keep avocados fresh is with one natural ingredient.

How to properly store sliced avocados 

It may sound strange, but the key to keeping cut avocados fresh is preventing the flesh from being exposed to air, as it will cause a reaction called oxidation which will turn the fruit brown. 

Joanne said: “The basic idea is to prevent oxygen from getting in, since oxygen will cause any cut flesh to brown.

“One option is to use a little acid. Just sprinkle a bit of lemon or lime juice over the cut areas of the avocado. You don’t need a lot… a spritz or two will do it.”

Lemon and lime juice contain citric acid, a natural antioxidant that slows the reaction of oxygen and acts as a barrier to prevent exposure. 

All you need to do is brush avocado slices with lemon or lime juice, then wrap them up tightly in clingfilm and store them in the fridge where they should last a few days longer. 

If you store avocados correctly then likely to keep fresh for two days longer than they normally would.

How to store whole avocados

Once you have brought a whole avocado then you should place it on the kitchen counter in a bowl away from a window as sunlight will cause the fruit to ripen too quickly and spoil the taste. 

If an avocado is a bright light green and firm touch then it is still unripe and should not be placed in the fridge until it has ripened, where it should be a dark green colour and the stem should come off easily. 

Joanne said: “For whole avocados, store them at room temperature (especially if they are unripe). Only use the fridge for avocados that are ripe.” 

Avocados cannot ripen properly at cold temperatures, and placing them in the fridge before their time can cause the avocados to become rubbery and tasteless. 

If you take the time to store both whole avocados the right way then they should last around seven days at room temperature and then stay fresh for around three days in the fridge once ripe.