So, what will happen if you eat a rotten avocado? Avocados are very nutritious and have many health benefits. 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.
If you think the avocado is rotten, throw it in a bin. After all, eating rotten avocado is never good.
Don’t let that lousy avocado get you down!
This article will cover how an avocado goes bad, how to know if an avocado is gone bad, and what happens if you eat a rotten avocado.
So, jump right in:
- What Happens If You Eat A Rotten Avocado?
- How To Know If Avocado Is Gone Bad?
- Can You Get Sick Eating Rotten Avocado?
What Happens If You Eat A Rotten Avocado?
Avocados are a great source of potassium, vitamins C, K, and fiber. They also have a high water content, making them easy to digest. But when you see mold on the outside of the fruit, throw it out. [1]
Mold is always a bad thing to see on your food. If you see fuzzy gray or white things growing on your avocado, that’s mold. Don’t try to smell it! If you have allergies, mold spores can enter your body’s airways and cause reaction and breathing problems. [2] [3]
Don’t risk getting sick by trying to salvage something that’s not salvageable.
How To Know If Avocado Is Gone Bad?
Avocados don’t ripen fast while they are on a tree, but they will ripen pretty quickly once they are picked.
If you want to know if your avocados have gone bad, look at these 5 signs.
Discolored Avocado Skin
A fresh avocado has a light green flesh. Once it starts to ripen, its flesh turns darker. But when it turns dark brown or black and feels mushy when pressed, it indicates overripe and spoilage of the fruit.
Soft And Dented Avocado Skin
Check the avocado for ripeness by gently pressing the fruit between your palms. Don’t press down too hard, as this may bruise the fruit.
The avocado should be firm and slightly give in when pressed. If it’s overripe, it will be soft and mushy.
Dark, Stringy Flesh
The easiest way to identify if the avocado is rotten is to cut it. A ripe avocado is typically a deep green color and has smooth, unblemished skin. The avocado is rotten if the skin is damaged or has dark spots.
Sometimes avocados can have a few dark streaks or spots because of bruising. That can happen when the fruit is dropped or forcefully squeezed. Even though they don’t look nice, they are not rotten and will taste fine.
Off Flavor Or Odor
Avocado is one of the best fruits to snack on. They have a delicious nutty taste and a pleasant aroma when ripe.
A spoiled avocado develops a sour taste and nasty smell due to bacterial growth. Bacteria that have invaded the fruit from the outside will feed on the fruit tissue. Once the microbes break down the saturated fats in the fruit, the sour taste and nasty smell develop. So, the fruit should be thrown out. [4]
Mold
Avocados have a short shelf life, so throw the whole thing out if you see any signs of mold. Even if you see mold in one area, it can quickly spread through the soft flesh. Don’t attempt to salvage it.
And don’t try to smell moldy avocado. You could inhale mold spores and trigger breathing problems if you are allergic.
Mold is a clear sign that the avocado is spoiled. Mold spreads through the pulp of the fruit and spoils it. Throw away the entire fruit, as the mold can spread through the soft flesh. [5] [6]
Avocados are best stored in a dark place for up to a week. If you find any of mentioned signs on your avocados, then your avocados are overripe and spoiled.
Can You Get Sick Eating Rotten Avocado?
Yes, you can get sick by eating rotten avocado. A rotten avocado undergoes bacterial action. It tastes and smells bad. You can experience bloating, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea if you are not careful. Eating a moldy avocado can cause allergic reactions and breathing troubles.
So, stay safe and throw that rotten avocado into the bin!
Keep In Mind
- Once you’ve cut an avocado and the flesh gets exposed to oxygen, it will start to get brown. This process is similar to when you cut an apple, and it turns brown. On this occasion, you can cut the top layer off and eat the rest of the avocado. [7]
- Typically, avocado doesn’t get ripe on a tree. The ripening process starts after it is picked from the tree. An unripened avocado is a bright green that turns into a darker shade of green and gradually turns brown once ripened.
What To Do Next
I hope this article answers your questions. Check out our Growing Guides to learn more about how to grow plants of your choice. Learn and help your plants by reading these guides.
Also, check out other similar articles in our Gardening How To section.
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