Avocados are a beloved fruit for many, often featuring in everything from breakfast toast to creamy guacamole.

Their creamy texture and subtle flavour make them the perfect addition to countless dishes, but achieving that ideal ripeness can sometimes feel like a game of chance.

While some avocados can be easily squished at the supermarket, others remain stubbornly hard, leaving you with a fruit that’s impossible to use in your recipes.

Social media hacks often promise to speed up the ripening process, but not all of them are as safe as they sound and can even create huge risks.

One viral method, now popular on TikTok, has raised serious concerns among food experts, leading to an important warning.

While the trend of storing avocados in water may seem harmless, it could be putting you at risk for food-borne illnesses, so the Wheeldon Brothers, experts in storage, cautioned against the practice.

They said: “Submerging avocados in water may seem like a good idea, but it creates the perfect conditions for bacteria like listeria and salmonella to grow.

“Instead, stick to safer, proven methods like refrigeration or using citrus juice.”

This advice comes amid growing concerns about food safety, as the water trick provides an ideal environment for harmful bacteria to flourish.

With millions of people turning to viral social media tips, it’s crucial to remember that not every shortcut is beneficial, especially when it involves something as simple but sensitive as food storage.

For those frustrated by rock-hard avocados, alternatives like the classic paper bag method are still tried and tested solutions.

Placing an avocado with ethylene-producing fruits such as apples or bananas can speed up the ripening process without introducing unnecessary risks.

The bag traps the gas produced by the fruits, helping the avocado soften in just a day or two.

With these safe, reliable methods, you can enjoy perfectly ripened avocados without putting your health at risk.