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Ever noticed brown spots in avocado? Ever wondered what the brown spots in your avocado are? Avocados are delicious, but they can also be quite expensive. So avoiding having to throw them away is something we would all rather do! Today I am going to tell you everything you need to know about those unwanted brown spots and the best way to avoid your avocado turning brown. You’ll never need to waste another avocado again!

Freshly cut avocado

Why does avocado have brown spots?

Once you open up the avocado it is a lot easier to determine whether or not it is okay to eat.

An avocado should have a light green flesh when ripe and ready. Once avocados begin to over ripen, they start to develop brown spots on the avocado flesh.

When removed from the tree, like most fruits, avocados will begin to ripen a lot quicker. Although many avocados may seem quite hard when you buy them, it does not take them long to soften and before you know it you have to use them before they go to waste!

Not only do they ripen quickly, but knowing when your avocado is good to eat can be quite tricky. The skin of avocado acts more like a shell, unlike the skin of fruits like an apple. Unlike many fruits, when an avocado ripens, very little happens to the outside. Fruits often brown in color on the outside when ripening. However for avocados this happens to the inside. 

What are the brown veins in avocado?

Similarly to brown spots, you should look out for dark streaks running through the flesh. These tend to look like brown veins and are an indication of an overripe avocado. 

These brown veins develop as the tissue  that makes up the fruit begins to die. 

Many fruits develop darker streaks as the fruit matures, but if the brown or black streaks are also quite stringy then this means the avocado has started to go bad. Again, this will still be safe to eat, just not so enjoyable.

Do avocados bruise?

A lot of the time these dark spots may simply be bruises, as opposed to over-ripening.

If the brown spot is singular and large, it is likely to be a bruise. You can also tell if your fruit is bruised if one part of the fruit is squishy and the rest remains hard. This is a good indication that the fruit has been bruised in one area but is still good to eat.

Lots of smaller brown spots are an indication of the fruit going out of date.

Is it okay to eat avocado with brown spots?

It is perfectly fine to eat an avocado that has some brown spots.

If it is clear that the spots are from bruising then you do not need to worry. Simply cut off the bruised area of the fruit and enjoy the rest. Eating a bruised part of any piece of fruit will cause you no harm, it just may not be enjoyable.

If you notice that the brown spots are a lot smaller, or if your avocado has brown streaks running through it, it may be worth throwing it out. This is a good indication that it is an overripe avocado and although it most likely will not make you sick, it is very likely that it won’t taste or feel very nice to eat.

avocado and pink

How do I make my avocados last longer?

If you find that you are constantly opening up your avocado to find that it has become overripe and brown, you are probably wondering how you can prevent this from happening. There are a number of ways to prevent your avocado from browning 

Firstly, you can try refrigerating your avocados. This can help preserve them for longer as the colder temperatures delay the speed of ripening.

You can also store your avocados away from other fruits, and in cooler places. Warm temperatures cause fruits to ripen a lot quicker and so avoiding this can be a great way to prolong the life of your avocado.

Once cut open, you should definitely refrigerate your avocado. Refrigerated avocado turned brown once it has been cut open is still fine to eat. Lots of fruits begin to brown once they have been opened, but if refrigerated and consumed within that day or the following day, they will be completely fine to eat.

If you have opened up your avocado and do not want to use the entire fruit, you should keep the pit left in the side you do not intend to use. This helps to keep the avocado from browning so quickly. You should also wrap it in some cling film or in an airtight container, as the lack of oxygen will also delay the ripening process. 

Alongside this, you can fill half of an airtight container with water and place your avocado in with the flesh side in the water. This should help prevent your avocado from browning for up to two more days!

Finally, if you have used half of your avocado and want to save the rest, alongside keeping the pip in it, you can also rub some lemon juice along the exposed part of the fruit. You should then go on to wrap it tightly with cling film and store in the refrigerator.

lemon and avocado

Is it okay to eat the brown spots in avocado? Depends!

So, once you have established the cause of your avocado, then it is time to decide whether it is worth eating it or not.

The main causes for brown spots on an avocado are either bruising, or it is an overripe avocado. 

If your avocado is bruised, the brown spots are completely safe to eat, but may not be so enjoyable.

If your avocado has begun to go off, you need to decide how far along this process it is. A few brown spots from overripening are completely fine. Simply cut them off and continue. 

However, if you are noticing many brown spots or a lot of brown veins throughout your avocado, it is probably best to bin it. Not only will it have an odd texture, but it will taste bad too – potentially ruining the rest of your meal.

Whilst out of date avocado will not make you ill, it won’t be enjoyable.

So, like any fruit, if you notice avocados looking a bit too brown, pop them in the bin. If not, simply cut it off and enjoy!

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