Almost everyone loves strawberries for their sweet, juicy taste.

Eating a fresh, ripe strawberry can be enjoyed as a delicious snack or dessert.

Furthermore, strawberries are readily available in the fresh produce section, which makes them an accessible and healthy snack.

But they don’t come “ready to serve”.

Some of us like to sample strawberries at the grocery or farmer’s market before purchasing them in large quantities, others prefer to buy pre-packaged ones, assuming that they have already been washed.

But after seeing this TikTok trend, it is possible that even those who have never considered washing their strawberries before may begin to reconsider.

Do you wash your strawberries?

For a while now, a TikTok trend has been circulating.

The trend involves soaking strawberries (and other fresh produce) in saltwater.

What was the outcome of the experiment?

Bugs or insects were discovered in the strawberries.

Some of them emerged from the fruit.

This led to the assumption that they were already inside, while others were seen crawling on the surface.

This phenomenon has spread across various social media platforms, and people have been attempting to recreate the experiment.

Nevertheless, there is still no agreement on the identity of these bugs.

According to some sources, the bugs discovered in the strawberry soak were identified as strawberry mites (or two-spotted spider mites), while others claimed they were pharaoh ants or spotted wing drosophila.

Regardless of the type of bug, people were startled by their appearance in the soak.

Have you considered attempting this experiment?

There were numerous methods that people utilized to achieve the same outcome.

One simple method involves filling a bowl with water, adding salt, and soaking the strawberries before rinsing them.

Basically, drown the suckers.

While some preferred to let them sit for five minutes, most people opted for a thirty-minute soak.

Additionally, some TikTokers experimented with using warm water instead of cold, and some even added one part white vinegar to four parts water.

The outcome may have surprised most individuals, but experts stated that it was not entirely unexpected.

It is a common occurrence to find bugs in the fresh produce that we consume regularly.

Berries are “buggy”.

After all, these crops are grown and harvested from fields where pests commonly reside.

This is applicable to strawberries and all other fruits and vegetables that we purchase.

It is safe to assume that we may have already consumed numerous bugs throughout our lives.

Are they harmful to our health?

There is currently no established research that suggests ingesting these insects would be detrimental to our well-being.

There have also been no recorded incidents of individuals becoming ill due to accidentally consuming these bugs in their food.

Furthermore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates the number of bugs that are able to be in our food, including canned products.

Consequently, the key takeaway from this is to always wash your fresh produce thoroughly before consuming or cooking it, regardless of whether it is pre-packaged or not.

See these creepy crawlies in live-action in the video below!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Are you having a good day today?

I’m sorry for ruining it by posting this video of a strawberry under a microscope. pic.twitter.com/xQKSG04OYK

— QENNY fingers crossed for weekend #2 (@AKBrews) March 28, 2023

Source: My Modern Net , Twitter @AKBrews , YouTube