Again, it’s the time for avocado season.
But what exactly does it mean when someone says “I ate an avocado for breakfast”?
Does this mean they had it straight out of the fruit bowl or did they peel it first?
We’re here to help you figure out whether your next avocado is good enough to be eaten, and we’ve got some tips on how to avoid eating one that has gone off.
How can you tell if an avocado is bad?
There are a few ways to tell if an avocado is bad, but there isn’t any way to actually detect mold in the flesh itself.
If you suspect that you have a rotten avocado, you should throw it away immediately and try another variety instead.
The best way to check if an avocado is ripe is by looking at its skin.
The skin will turn yellowish-green when the avocado is ripe.
This is because chlorophyll is present in the skin.
If the skin turns brown or black, then the avocado is not ripe anymore.
You can also look at the pit.
If it is hard, then the avocado is probably spoiled.
If the pit is soft, then it’s still edible.
In order to determine if an avocado has gone bad, you need to look at its texture.
A ripe avocado should feel heavy in your hand.
It shouldn’t be mushy or slimy.
If it feels like it has been cut open with a knife, then it is probably bad.
An avocado that is too firm is also likely ruined, so make sure that you don’t overripe them.
If you see some green spots or mold on the surface of the avocado, then it is definitely time to toss it.
Even though you can eat these spots, they may spread further into the avocado, making it unusable.
Make sure to wash your hands after handling avocados, as well.
When buying avocados, make sure that they are firm, unblemished, and smooth-skinned.
Avoid purchasing avocados that are bruised or blemished, which could indicate spoilage.
Avocados should never be refrigerated, since doing so can cause them to lose moisture.
Instead, store them in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer until you are ready to use them.
What are the signs that an avocado is going bad?
The most obvious sign that an avocado is going bad is a change in color.
The skin will start to turn brown and black spots will appear on the surface.
You’ll also notice that the flesh becomes soft and spongy as the avocado ripens.
If you buy an avocado from a grocery store, the fruit should be firm, not mushy or slimy.
It should have a greenish-yellow hue with no dark spots and it should feel heavy for its size.
You may also see mold growing on the outside of the fruit.
In fact, there are many types of molds that grow on food.
Some look like small green dots while others form a hard crust over the avocado.
Mold spores are found everywhere and can easily contaminate any fruit or vegetable.
They thrive in warm temperatures and high humidity, so it’s important to keep your fruits and vegetables in a cool, dry place.
If you purchase an avocado at a farmers market, you won’t see any of these signs right away.
However, if you don’t use it within two weeks, it’s time to toss it out.
When you get home, cut open the avocado and check the inside.
If it looks rotten, throw it out immediately.
So, how do you know if an avocado is ripe?
Here are some other signs that you need to watch out for.
Can you eat a bad avocado?
A ripe avocado can still have plenty of flavour even after it’s been sitting around in your fridge for a while – but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s safe to eat.
If you buy an avocado and it doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t.
The best way to tell if an avocado is rotten is to squeeze its skin.
If it gives slightly under pressure, then it’s time to throw it away.
You should also check the flesh underneath the skin because it may look fine from the outside, but it could still be rotting internally.
If you’ve bought an avocado at the supermarket, it will most likely have been picked over by a machine before being packed, so there’s no need to worry too much about getting rid of it as soon as possible.
However, if you’ve bought an avocado from a farmers market or other reputable seller, then you might want to ask them to take it back if it looks unripe.
They may not be able to do anything about it, but at least you’ll know the source of the problem.
One thing that can affect an avocado’s shelf life is temperature.
If it gets too cold, it will start to lose water content and become drier.
The opposite is true if it gets too warm – it will start to rot more quickly.
So, ideally, store your avocado in a cool place (below 25 degrees Celsius) where it won’t get hot during summer months.
If you live somewhere with extreme heat or cold, then you may need to store it in the fridge instead.
What happens if you eat a bad avocado?
According to the USDA, there are three things that happen when you eat a bad avocado:
You may experience diarrhea.
You may experience nausea.
The avocado will turn brown and begin to smell.
But don’t worry, these aren’t necessarily signs of danger.
The avocado can still be edible as long as you follow the proper steps in order to prevent any of these issues from occurring.
These include:
Peeling the avocado in advance.
Washing the avocado before using it.
Avoiding contact with the skin of the avocado.
Storing the avocado in a cool location.
If you follow these steps, then you should be able to enjoy your avocado without any problems.
And remember, no matter what happens, do not throw away an avocado that smells rotten!
It could contain harmful bacteria which could make you very sick.
How long do avocados last?
According to the USDA, a ripe avocado should have a smooth surface with no wrinkles, blemishes, or cuts.
It should also give slightly when pressed gently in the palm of your hand.
If it doesn’t, you’ll need to give it another day or two before consuming it.
But what happens after that?
How long can you eat an avocado before it starts to spoil?
You can store an avocado up to five days at room temperature, but if you refrigerate it, it will lose its flavor pretty quickly.
The best way to preserve the flavor of an avocado is to slice it and place it in a paper bag with a banana leaf wrapped around it.
You can then leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
That way, any moisture from the avocado will stay inside the bag, keeping it fresh.
If you’re going to eat it within a few hours of purchasing it, you might want to try storing it in the freezer for a couple of weeks.
When you take it out of the freezer, let it thaw completely so that the ice crystals melt away, then cut it open and remove the pit.
Place the avocado flesh into a container with a lid, add a little bit of lemon juice, and you’re ready to enjoy it!
The only real issue with avocados is that they bruise easily.
If you get a bruised one, don’t throw it out — just put it back into the fridge and let it sit there for 24 hours.
After that time, the bruising should disappear, and the avocado should be perfectly fine to eat.
Do avocados go bad in the fridge?
If you have a few ripe avocados lying around, you might be wondering whether they will last long enough to enjoy them through the end of the summer.
The short answer is yes, but there are a couple of things you need to remember.
First, avocados are best consumed within two weeks of purchase.
If you buy them at a grocery store, they should be kept in their original packaging and stored in the refrigerator.
It’s important to note that refrigerating avocados too much can cause them to become soft and mushy.
You don’t want that.
The second thing to consider is ripening time.
While they do not lose flavor over time, they also do not gain any.
So, while you can eat them right away, they won’t taste as good as they would after a day or so.
That said, if you have several avocados, you could make use of them by slicing them up and using them as guacamole.
However, it’s better to save them until you need them.
Here are a few ways you can preserve your avocados for later:
Wrap each avocado with plastic wrap and place it in a brown paper bag.
Store them in the back of the fridge, where it’s cool and dark.
Keep your avocados in a sealed container in a cooler.
They’ll stay fresh for up to five days.
Use the avocado pit to create a makeshift ice cube tray.
Fill each cavity with water, freeze it, then pop the frozen cubes into a freezer-safe zip lock bag.
Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the seed from the center.
Place the halves cut side down in a glass dish with a cup of rice.
Put the dish in the fridge overnight, and the flesh will turn into a nice hard cheese, perfect for cutting into cubes.
Can you freeze avocados?
Yes, you can freeze avocados.
They will last in the fridge for several months, but as with most fruits and vegetables, they should be used within a few weeks after purchase.
It’s best not to use avocados that are too ripe, though.
If you have any doubts, just cut into one and check the flesh.
It should feel soft, but not mushy.
Ripe avocados have dark spots on their skin, while unripe ones have no spots at all.
If you do buy avocados too late in the season, make sure you store them properly.
You can wrap them in plastic, then put them in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
Don’t leave them sitting around in the open air.
How do you store avocados?
The best way to store avocados is in their natural state.
If you buy a ripe avocado, it should feel heavy and give slightly under pressure.
The skin will also be soft to the touch and won’t have any brown spots.
If you buy an unripe avocado, which is green with black dots, then you need to ripen it before storing it.
To speed up the process, place the avocado in a paper bag with a banana for the next few days.
Once the avocado is ripe, carefully remove the skin by cutting around the stem end with a knife, then cut the avocado open lengthwise.
Remove the pit using a spoon and scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
You may also use a fork to pry the flesh from the skin.
You can now either eat the avocado right away or refrigerate it for later use.
To prevent the avocado from going brown, place it in a brown paper bag.
Alternatively, wrap it in aluminum foil, as long as it isn’t touching other food items.
You can also put the avocado in a sealed plastic container so it doesn’t absorb odors from other foods.
Do avocados ripen after they are picked?
If you have ever bought a ripe avocado at the grocery store, you may have wondered why it seems so much bigger than the ones in the produce section.
Well, the answer lies in the fact that avocados do not ripen after being picked.
When you buy a fresh avocado from the store, it will look and feel perfectly ripe because it was just picked.
However, once it leaves the plant, it starts to lose its moisture content (which makes it softer).
As time goes by, it becomes less and less firm.
The only way to stop this process is to put the avocado back into storage until it fully ripens.
If you don’t have access to an avocado ripening room, then simply place the avocado in a paper bag with an apple or banana to absorb excess moisture.
The longer the avocado sits in storage, the more it will ripen.
Just make sure to check the avocado every day.
When it is soft but still slightly green, it is ready to eat.
Store any leftovers in the fridge to use within a week.
Why do avocados go bad?
There are several reasons why avocados may go bad.
The most common culprits are poor storage conditions, improper handling, and exposure to light.
If you buy an avocado from a store or farmer’s market, it will likely have been stored properly in a cool location.
However, if you get an avocado from the grocery store, it could easily sit on a shelf for weeks before being purchased by a customer.
That means the avocado could have been sitting out in the heat, which causes the flesh to soften and the skin to become brown.
If you don’t like the way your avocado looks after it’s been out of its shell too long, there are ways to save it.
You can cut it up into smaller pieces (and eat those) or freeze it.
Another option is to use a food dehydrator to dry the avocado completely, so it doesn’t lose any of its nutrients.
Once you’ve done that, you can put the dried avocado back into your fridge to enjoy later.
Avocado Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 slice of bread
- ½ avocado
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Toast your piece of bread until it is firm and brown.
- Your avocado’s pit should be removed. The flesh should be removed using a large spoon. It should be mashed with a fork in a bowl until it is as smooth as you prefer. Add a small amount of salt—about 1/8 teaspoon—and taste before adding more, if desired.
- Toast should be topped with avocado. Enjoy as is or add any other ingredients from this post
Video
Nutrition
I have a true passion for cooking and experimenting with new ingredients, and I have been creating and perfecting recipes for friends and family for years.
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