Excuse me? This is what happens to strawberries when you put them in salt water

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: this is what happens to strawberries when you put them in salt water.

Now that we've learned how to really wash our hands because of corona (at least, I hope so), maybe it's time for the next step: really washing your fruit well. Just rinsing it under a stream of water might not be enough. At least, that's what the viral videos going around on TikTok seem to suggest.

In the videos, it is advised to not just rinse your strawberries (and other berries) with water, but to wash them in salt water, possibly with a splash of vinegar. The images don't lie: if you do that, all sorts of little creatures come out. As in: moving creatures. Living creatures. Spiders, maggots, insects.

@callmekristatorres WAIT FOR IT… Still trying to think happy thoughts today. #fyp #foryou #strawberrieswithbugs #bugsinstrawberries #rednoseday #got2bhome ♬ original sound – Krista Torres

‘Nothing to worry about’
If we are to believe CNN, there isn't much to worry about. Yes, there are maggots and spiders visible, but according to experts, they are harmless and unavoidable. ‘When you eat fresh vegetables and fruit, you are eating insects,’ says entomologist Greg Loeb. ‘There are simply organisms living on your fruit. No worries: it won't make you sick and just washing your fruit is really enough.’

Better safe than sorry
Do you have a hard time believing that and would you rather be safe than sorry? Then you can follow the advice of the TikTokers. Although… The advice they give varies quite a bit: one says that soaking for five minutes is enough, while another talks about at least half an hour. And while some say that cold water is fine, it seems to me that using warm water would be handy for dissolving the salt.

@thatnatchats y’all better WASH your strawberries ‼️?? Comment what I should look at next! ✨? #fyp #foryou #science ♬ Don’t Start Now – Dua Lipa

Note: don't forget to rinse the strawberries afterwards. Unless you were in the mood for a salty snack, of course.