Those “white wriggling things” are most likely fruit fly larvae (maggots)—tiny immature insects that sometimes live inside soft fruits like strawberries.
What’s actually happening
Strawberries can be infested by tiny fruit flies that lay eggs inside the fruit while it’s still growing or after picking if exposed.
When you soak strawberries in salt water:
- The salt irritates the larvae
- They become more active and crawl out of the fruit
- That’s why you suddenly saw them “coming out”
So the salt water didn’t create them—it just made hidden ones visible.
Is it dangerous if you ate them?
In most cases, no serious harm.
- Fruit fly larvae are not poisonous
- They don’t usually carry dangerous diseases in fruit
- The main issue is psychological disgust and mild stomach upset in sensitive people
Still, most people understandably prefer not to eat infested fruit.
What you should do now
- Discard heavily infested strawberries
- Wash remaining ones thoroughly under running water
- Soak in clean water (salt or vinegar water can help loosen pests)
- Dry and inspect before eating
How to prevent it in the future
- Buy strawberries that are firm and fresh (avoid overripe ones)
- Refrigerate immediately after purchase
- Don’t leave them sitting at room temperature for long
- Rinse just before eating, not long before storage
Bottom line
What you saw is almost certainly harmless fruit fly larvae being forced out by salt water, not anything more dangerous—but it does mean the strawberries were already infested before you soaked them.
If you want, you can describe what they looked like (size, movement, where you bought the strawberries), and I can confirm more precisely what type of pest it likely was.