We have all experienced the following moment: You have stashed an avocado and you’re waiting until it reaches the perfect stage of ripeness. Unfortunately, there are brown spots inside and now the avocado can’t be eaten. They are too expensive to throw away, so you find yourself wondering if the avocado remains salvageable. It’s an all too common problem that pops up a lot more than we would like.
While you may be let down by the avocado’s appearance, that does not mean that you need to throw the whole thing away. Yeah, the avocado is probably going to be a bit mushy to the touch. Sure, it’s somewhat gross to look at. But, that does not make it any less edible.
The truth of the matter is that the avocado is safe to eat and anyone telling you otherwise is not being 100 percent honest.
If the avocado is sliced open and appears to be brown, this is not a sign of rot. It means that the avocado has been exposed to the air. It’s a chemical reaction, that’s all. The flesh of the fruit interacts with the oxygen that is in the air and that causes the brown coloration. Anyone who has ever sliced an apple before has seen this exact reaction in action.
The pieces of your avocado might not be as crisp as you might have hoped but they are still plenty edible.
Most of us associate this coloration with food that has gone bad, so it is not like you are going to be the only one. Use your better judgment if you have any further questions. Is the avocado totally brown and all squishy to the touch, it may be a sign that it’s ready for the compost.
However, if it’s only slightly brown, you can still enjoy it. Brown avocados are great as guacamole or spread onto toast.
If you would like to slow down the browning process, we have one key tip for you to follow: Use a little bit of lemon juice. By taking the time to squeeze some lemon juice onto the avocado, you’ll slow down the browning process significantly.