You can safely eat an avocado or guacamole that has turned brown due to oxidation, just as you could eat an apple that has undergone the same chemical reaction. However, it certainly doesn't look as appetizing when presented on a plate, and the taste may be slightly altered (read: a tad bitter).
"Avocados turn brown when their flesh comes in contact with oxygen," says Traci Weintraub, chef and founder of Gracefully Fed. A quick science lesson: Avocado flesh contains phenols (a plant compound) and polyphenol oxidase (an enzyme). Enzymes are proteins that trigger chemical reactions.
It feels soft and mushy
If you can see a dent where you squeezed, this avocado is past its best. A slight indent may indicate that it is overripe but still edible, but big dents, or feeling the fruit crush inside the skin means it won't be good to eat.
Nesbitt said that there's "no safety problem with consuming dark avocados unless they have also been exposed to room temperature and bacteria, thus recommendations to refrigerate them are valid." So if you're tasting something funky or rancid or "off" in your brown avocado (or the sandwich you're saving for the next ...
But if you eat rotten avocados, they can make you sick. You may get an upset stomach, diarrhea, or vomiting. Eating rotten or moldy avocados or any fruit having fungal growth is never a good choice. Also, rotten avocado smells really bad.
How long do avocados last in the fridge? An uncut whole avocado will last a bit longer when moved to the refrigerator but it's recommended to eat them within 1-2 days for maximum freshness. Cut avocados may last up to three days after cutting if stored properly (see above) but there is no guarantee.
If you put unripe avocados in the refrigerator and leave them for several days, chances are the fruit will get chill damage and turn black inside. As the season progresses and oil content gets higher, the fruit has less chance of turning black inside. To prevent the discoloration, don't refrigerate.
Although brown guacamole isn't the most appealing, it's completely safe to eat (as long as you've stored the guacamole in the refrigerator, and it isn't more than three days old). "While a bit off-putting to look at, brown guacamole is totally safe," confirms Food Network's nutritionist, Dana Angelo White, MS RD ATC.
Cut or mashed avocado retains freshness for up to 3 to 4 days in the fridge. If you don't spray the flesh with something acidic like lemon juice, it will turn brown quite fast. That browned flesh isn't bad by any means, but it doesn't look appealing in avocado toast or guacamole.
Until they're fully ripe, avocados should be stored at room temperature. Placing an unripe avocado in the refrigerator will slow the ripening process, but the same concept applies to ripe avocados: put them in the refrigerator to keep them at their prime ripeness for longer.
The water prevents air from touching the guacamole, which causes it to turn brown (which is safe to eat anyway but some people get visually grossed out by brown guacamole).
Brush with Olive Oil
Creating a barrier can prevent the oxygen from being in contact with the green flesh of the avocado. One way to create a barrier is to brush the exposed surface of the avocado with oil. Drizzle the surface of the fruit with a visible layer of vegetable oil. Then, seal it in an airtight container.
If your avocado is ripe, place the whole, uncut avocado in an airtight container or in the produce drawer in the refrigerator. It should be good for about two weeks, depending on how ripe it was going in.
The leftover avocado half can be stored in your refrigerator for up to 3 days depending on the level of ripeness. It will get brown, but at a slower rate. When you're ready to eat, simply scrape away and discard a thin layer of the brown pulp and enjoy the rest.
Storing Ripe Avocado Halves
Fresh and ready avocado halves are a sight to behold. But they won't stay that way for long. To keep them from turning brown, seal the flesh with a sprinkle of lemon juice, lime juice, or olive oil, then tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
The leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs, and more serious signs in other animals due to a wide range in sensitivity across species. Birds, horses and rodents are especially sensitive to avocado toxicity.
Avocados are healthy but can cause food poisoning. As recently as March 2019, avocados have been recalled for listeria contamination. Along with listeria, salmonella is also a common cause of avocado food poisoning and can occur when bacteria transfer from the peel to the flesh when being cut.
To tell if your avocado is bad, look for visible mold or a rancid odor, which indicates that it's not safe to eat and should be thrown away. While a ripe avocado will typically have a deep green or purple colored skin, a deep black skin can mean it's past its prime.
Once cut, it will be several hours—typically at least four hours—before the avocado starts to turn brown. Browning may occur more quickly if the avocado was overly ripe before blanching. If you are making guacamole, adding lime juice will help prevent browning even longer.
Incorporating avocados into your diet, as well as applying it directly to your face, can do wonders for your skin. The creamy texture makes it perfect for a mask. This is the time to use your overripe avocados — the extra mush is the texture you want for your mask.
Just like with apples, bananas, and potatoes, avocados turn brown when it's exposed to oxygen in the air. It's still safe to eat, but the less browning there is, the better visually, especially if you want to get your child to eat it.
Avocados. The refrigerator will slow avocados in the ripening process, so unless you're stacked with too many avocados for your weekly use, keep them out at room temperature. The cold temperature also hardens the texture of a ripe avocado, which might not be ideal for some when it comes to mealtime.