What you saw are almost certainly fruit fly larvae (maggots). This can happen in berries like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries when fruit flies lay eggs on ripening fruit—those eggs can hatch and the tiny white “wiggling” larvae come out when soaked in water (especially salty water).
Should you throw them away?
Yes—best and safest choice is to discard them.
Even though:
- The larvae themselves are not known to be toxic or dangerous if accidentally swallowed (they’re basically protein),
- Their presence means the fruit was already infested and likely breaking down internally,
- And washing won’t reliably remove all eggs/larvae hiding inside soft berries.
So for raw consumption (smoothies, eating fresh, desserts), it’s not worth the risk or the gross factor—most people throw them out.
Why salt water made them appear
Salt water doesn’t create them—it just:
- Drives larvae out of the fruit,
- Makes hidden infestation visible,
- And sometimes makes them more active.
When might it be okay to keep fruit?
Only in limited cases:
- If you’re cooking them thoroughly (jam, sauce, baking at high heat),
- And infestation is very minimal (just a couple berries affected, others perfectly clean and firm).
Even then, many people still choose to discard the whole batch for peace of mind.
Bottom line
If you saw multiple wiggling larvae:
👉 Throw the berries away. Don’t eat them raw.
If you want, tell me what type of berries they were and how many you had—I can help you judge how likely the rest of the batch is affected next time.