Not necessarily. Seeing tiny white wiggling larvae come out after soaking berries in salt water is surprisingly common, especially with raspberries, blackberries, and sometimes strawberries. They are often the larvae of small fruit flies that lay eggs in ripening fruit.
Whether to keep or discard the berries depends on your comfort level:
- If only a few larvae came out and the berries are otherwise fresh (no mold, off smell, or mushiness), the berries are not generally considered dangerous because of the larvae themselves. You can rinse them thoroughly under running water and use them if you’re comfortable doing so.
- If many larvae emerged or the berries seem heavily infested, most people would choose to discard them because the fruit is likely extensively infested and the quality will be poor.
- If you notice mold, fermentation, or signs of spoilage, throw them away regardless.
For future batches:
- Rinse berries under cool running water.
- If you want to check for insects, soak them briefly (5–10 minutes) in salt water (about 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of water) or a vinegar solution, then rinse well.
- Refrigerate them promptly after drying.
While it’s unpleasant to discover larvae, accidentally eating a small number from fresh fruit is not generally expected to cause illness in healthy people. The bigger concern is the freshness and condition of the fruit itself.
If you tell me what kind of berries they are (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.) and roughly how many white larvae you saw, I can give more specific guidance.
