Storing avocados in the fridge next to a lemon can keep them fresh and green for more than five weeks, according to a tip shared on the Homemaking Tips Facebook page.
Avocados are known for turning brown and soft quickly, which can leave shoppers with more fruit than they can eat before it spoils. Social media advice recommending submerged avocados in water has been dismissed as not only useless but also risky, as the moist environment encourages bacterial growth, including Salmonella. Even if the water looks clean, contamination can take hold as microbes on the avocado's skin thrive.
Lemon trick keeps avocados green for weeks
In a post on the Homemaking Tips Facebook page, John Wheeler described testing the method. He wrote: "Y'all, I am shooketh! I read somewhere that storing avocados in the fridge with a lemon makes them last longer, so I decided to try it."
He continued: "The last purchase ended up in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Almost six weeks later, I see them when I'm making burritos and think, why not see." He added: "After just over five weeks, they were perfectly ripe and bright green inside still. I will never store them another way."
Why the method works
The acids in lemons help reduce the pH level of avocados and limit enzymatic activity, which prevents browning. Chilling also slows the ripening process. It is advisable to refrigerate an avocado once it has ripened or is nearly ripe.
However, avocados should be kept at room temperature on the worktop so they can mature correctly before being transferred to the fridge drawer alongside a lemon. Chilling an unripe avocado will eventually allow it to ripen, but the texture and flavour may be affected.
