Avocado - when is it bad?

[Pierre]

I know what the ideal avocado looks like when I open it - uniform green, and the meat separates from the seed easily. I've also found avos with hardened lumps of meat in them, which I figured were infected with a fungus and threw out. What if it has darkened, but not hardened, streaks in it? Is there any way to tell from the outside? Once I pulled out an avocado with mold on the skin, opened it up and it was perfect.

The air conditioner doesn't work, it's been 30 and above indoors, and I think that makes them ripen too fast.

[RawChicky]

Give it a light squeeze and make sure that it is uniformly soft- and make sure there are not soft or hard spots, that it feels the same all over.

[IamLoved]

Hi

I love avocadoes! You can tell when they are bad if they are very soft. They should just give to a little pressure. Also when they are ripe store them in the fridge. If left out they will continue to ripen and go bad faster.

[Veganforlife]

Avos are one of my all time favorite foods! I just love them. Yes. Refrigerate them. I do, they seem not to ripen as fast. I have used ones that had some darkening on the inside, I just cut around them. They should feel uniform all around and when you cut them open they should be of a uniform color inside. To me they taste like nature's butter. YUM-MEE!!!!

[Sharon in Colorado]

Sometimes there is just no way telling, even when they are too soft, until you split them open. I've split open too-soft avos only to find a perfectly delightful fruit. Other times I find darkened flesh with veiny strings running through it accompanied by a smokey odor.

I keep mine in the refrigerator now because of the heat here. You are fortunate to have 30 degrees in the house, how nice and cool.

[RawChicky]

Sometimes there is just no way telling, even when they are too soft, until you split them open. I've split open too-soft avos only to find a perfectly delightful fruit. Other times I find darkened flesh with veiny strings running through it accompanied by a smokey odor.

I keep mine in the refrigerator now because of the heat here. You are fortunate to have 30 degrees in the house, how nice and cool.

I think he means 30 degrees celcius

[Pailani]

I eat them, even with browning spots, unless I see white hairy mold or they smell like they're fermenting.

[DavidZaneMason]

The above replies are great.

-If they are the little Haas ones....then look for no breaks or spots that are softer than the others. Check the 'stem' to make sure it is not soft or rotten.

-Pick one that is just starting to soften.....and turning from green to brown - with the skin starting to smooth out (as opposed to being bumpy). When too ripe...they will turn dark brown......the skin will smooth out...then wrinkle and begin to collape inward....and the whole thing will turn mushy.

-Make sure that the avocado is not uniformly hard as a rock....especially if it is already dark brown. These are rotten - and dried out and a waste of money.

-If they are Florida avos....then just make sure they are no breaks....and that they have softened appreciably.

-Hope this is helpful.

-David Mason

[Angelic]

Even when the avacados have gone kind of brown, I use them to make flax chips..and they are super yummy with guacamole! Here is the recipe:

1 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 avacado
1 clove garlic
4-5 jalapeno peppers or 1 bellpepper (depends on how hot you like it)
sea salt

Spread out on teflex sheets, make sure it is kind of thick so the chips don't turn out paper thin..these are so great with salsa or guacamole..enjoy! :)

[Sheryl]

The hard spots are fine. If an avocado is cut or stung by a bug it makes a hard little scar. They lift out of the flesh easily.

Cheers,
Sheryl

[Pierre]

I've seen hard spots that begin at, and are stuck to, the seed.

[spicyfull]

Avos are one of my all time favorite foods! I just love them. Yes. Refrigerate them. I do, they seem not to ripen as fast. I have used ones that had some darkening on the inside, I just cut around them. They should feel uniform all around and when you cut them open they should be of a uniform color inside. To me they taste like nature's butter. YUM-MEE!!!!

She said it all.....RAW, dairy-free butter.......