How To Tell If Your Avocado Has Gone Bad

Avocados have been having a moment for a few years now and they've definitely earned their star on the fruit walk of fame. The avocado has many celebrities who openly fangirl over this creamy berry. Musician Billie Eilish's fans used to call themselves "avocados" because Eilish likes this food so much, according to The Line of Best Fit, and per Seventeen, Miley Cyrus has so much affection for this green fruit, she turned to the ink masters so she could wear that love on her arm in the form of an avocado tattoo. The Daily Mail revealed Victoria Beckham likes to eat hers on her toast, as does Kylie Jenner, who shared that she likes to mash up her avocado and give it a sprinkle of honey and red pepper for a sweet kick, per Delish.

Avocados definitely have some celebrity swagger, and we can't help but agree that they're pretty amazing. Can they do anything bad other than go bad? Even if the avocado didn't have a famous following, it would still be beloved — at the very least — on Super Bowl Sunday. According to Borracha Mexican Cantina, when people in the U.S. are readying for Game Day, they gobble up 69 million pounds of avocados. That's right! Even though WebMD explains that avocados are high in calories and fat, we still like to eat them. But speaking of bad, if you're going to jump on the avocado train, you may want to know how to tell if your avocado is inedible. 

Per Healthline, there are several different methods you can use to tell if your avocado has gone bad. But, unsurprisingly, they note that touch and sight play a key role in helping you make this determination. Healthline reccomends using the palm of your hand — but not your fingers — to gently press and squeeze the avocado to evaluate its firmness or lack thereof. An unripe avocado will be firm and you won't be able feel any give. If it is ripe, you might cause a minor indent when you squeeze it. If there is no resistance to your squeeze, chances are your avocado is either so soft you might want to use it for a dish that requires mashed avocado or it is so soft there will be large visibile dents to the dark skin. This sadly means it's probably time to toss your avocado and head over to the grocery store to purchase a fresh one if you have an immediate need.

Another way to determine if your avocados have spoiled is by examining changes in skin color. Healthline explains that the most widely purchased avocado is the Hass avocado. In fact, 80% of all avocados purchased are of the Hass variety. When this avocado isn't ripe, it will be a lovely shade of green. However once it ripens, it begins to turn brown and then black. Once it turns black, it is generally well past its optimal point of eating.

Still unsure if your avocado is good enough to eat after examining the color of the avocado's skin and squeezing your fruit? Healthline also suggests taking a whiff of your avocado, noting fresh avocados have a "nutty" smell. If it has gone bad, the scent of your avocado will be a little off, almost sour. But if your nose isn't detecting any odor at all, there's another course of action to pursue. 

Toss or Eat recommends slicing this green goodness open and taking a peek at the creamy inside. If it you see a brown discoloration or that it has turned black, this means your avocado is rotting and probably won't taste very good. You can definitely cut around those parts of your avocado and try and rescue the areas that have not yet been affected, but you might need to make a run to the grocery store to purchase more depending on what you are using your avocado for at the time. 

What causes your avocado to turn black on the inside? Toss or Eat explains it could be any one of a number of factors, including mishandling or dropping your avocado, which causes the fruit to bruise. But that's not the only reason an avocado's flesh might start to rot. Another tell-tale sign that your avocado has gone bad is mold. Per Healthline, mold can develop on either the inside or the outside of this fruit. On the outside, it is easy to see and will appear white and fuzzy. But if you find it on the inside, they also caution not to smell the mold because you could inhale the spores. If you find mold on the inside or the outside of your avocado, they recommend tossing.  

Does It Go Bad notes that avocados stored at room temperature can last anywhere from three days to a week as long as they were not ripe when you purchased them. They also share that once you cut this fruit, you want to plan on using it within three to four days.