Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying Avocados At Costco

There's no denying the fact that Costco is a great destination for everything from budget-friendly bulk buys to to-go prepared food items. But if you're heading to the big box retailer to pick up fresh produce, there are a few options you'd be best to avoid — starting with its avocados. Notorious for their short shelf life, avocados can go from perfectly ripe to past their prime in as little as a day, so it's important to assess exactly where they're at in their lifespan before buying. You can do this by gently pressing on the fruit and running your hands over its skin. However, Costco's whole avocados are packaged as bundles in net bags, which can make it difficult to give them the proper visual and tactile appraisal before heading to checkout. That means you might be stuck with a bunch of avocados that are meant for the trash, alongside your dreams of creamy avocado toast.

But that's not the only issue with the store's avocados. Over the past few years, Costco customers have complained about the lowered quality of the store's offerings, sparking internet threads about bringing home blackened fruit from the retailer. One Reddit user recently took to the Costco subreddit to bemoan their produce purchases, writing, "Recently started buying [avocados] from Costco. Every single one has rotten/brown parts on the inside, no matter how early I open them up." Many commenters in the thread agreed, noting that they now avoid buying avocados from Costco altogether.

If you need to brush up on some tips for picking and buying the best avocados, we've got you covered. First, keep in mind that a yet-to-ripen avocado will have a very firm feel when you squeeze, while the skin will have a smoother texture. This indicates that you have time to enjoy them at their peak, making them worth the purchase, so long as you're not planning on using it that day. A perfectly ripe fruit will have some give if you press down, and the skin will be slightly bumpy, with an overall darker hue. And if you touch one that's super soft and mushy with brown spots dotting the exterior? It's likely that the precious produce has already gone bad.

Before buying, you should also look to see that the avocado still has its brown stem intact. Without its stem, the fruit's interior is more exposed to outside air, which can quicken its ripening process, ultimately causing it to go rotten even faster. Also, unless you're going to eat your avocados right away, it may actually be a good idea to stock up on unripe ones, that way you can catch them at their best and extend their ripeness by storing them in the fridge or even the freezer.

We think if you're hitting Costco but want to avoid the risk of wasting your money on a bad batch of avocados, your best bet is to purchase the fresh, pre-smashed stuff instead. It's individually portioned for max freshness, and is ready for spreading and scooping in all its bright green glory.