People Are Washing Strawberries In Salt Water And Bugs Are Coming Out Of Them

Here’s a new TikTok conspiracy for you: People are saying that if you soak strawberries in salt water, bugs will come out of them. Everyone is putting this theory to the test, and the results are...deeply conflicting.

Under the hashtag #strawberrieswithbugs, seemingly endless videos show people investigating this claim. The people who say they did find bugs in their strawberries after putting them in salt water show videos of really tiny worms moving on the strawberries, on the counter after cutting the fruit, or floating in the salt water.

A ton of people call BS on this. “I don’t know what Dollar Tree you’re getting your strawberries from, but these are perfectly fine,” one TikToker said. People who didn't find any bugs say it’s a lie, but one TikTok user pointed out that it works when there are bugs in your strawberries. So when it doesn’t work, that means there were no bugs in them? I guess?

In typical social media fashion, there were some jokers–or at least a few TikToks that seemed to be jokes—with actual bugs in the water. All jokes aside, one person set up a whole experiment to prove that you will be fine if you just rinse them!! If you need peace after viewing the strawberries that did have worms in them, this experiment will bring you it. Promise!

Really, the only way to know for sure is to do it yourself...at the risk of making your strawberries taste salty.

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

subscribe here (opens in new tab)