Avocados are often described as a superfood, and they’re one of my favourites. They’re incredibly versatile, whether sliced onto toast, added to a salad or mashed into guacamole. Their creamy texture makes them an easy addition to plenty of meals, but catching them at the right stage can be tricky.
Avocados ripen after picking. Once ready to eat, they have a relatively short window before becoming overripe. However, being ripe, overripe and spoiled are different things.
Here are five helpful hints to check whether your avocado is still suitable to eat.
Five things to check before eating your avocado
1. How does it feel?
Hold the avocado in your palm and apply gentle pressure. A ripe avocado should give slightly while still feeling firm. If it feels very mushy or collapses under light pressure, it may be past its best. Avoid pressing hard with your fingertips, as this can bruise the flesh.
2. Does it smell unpleasant?
When you cut it open, notice any unusual smell. A sour, rancid or distinctly unpleasant odour is a reason to discard it. Don’t taste an avocado you already suspect has spoiled.
3. What does the flesh look like?
A small, isolated brown patch may come from bruising. You can remove a bruised area if the rest of the fruit appears sound. Stringiness alone doesn’t necessarily mean spoilage, either. However, extensive deterioration or an unpleasant smell gives you more reason to throw it away.
4. Has the skin changed colour?
Hass avocados usually have green, bumpy skin when unripe. Their skin darkens as they ripen and may become almost black. This is normal, so colour alone won’t tell you whether they have spoiled. Other varieties can remain green when ripe. Check the texture and condition of the flesh too.
5. Can you see mould?
If you spot mould on the skin or flesh, discard the whole avocado. Cutting away the visible patch isn’t enough. Mould can spread beneath the surface of soft fruit, beyond what you can see.
I love using avocados, but I always check their condition before adding them to a meal. Look at the whole picture rather than relying on one sign, particularly skin colour. If there are clear signs of spoilage, it’s time to let that avocado go.