Avocados brown on the inside!!!!!

ryseryse_2004

11 years ago

Finally, avocados are affordable (2 for $1) and I buy six to make guacamole for guests. AND all of them are brown on the inside. Just the parts hugging the skin are green. What is that about?????

Comments (16)

centralcacyclist
11 years ago
How disappointing for you. Over ripe is my guess. There is a small window of perfect ripeness.

Eileen
cookebook
11 years ago
Next time you buy them pop the little stem end out while at the store. If it's nice and green under there then the avacado is fine. If it's brown and dry-looking put it back.
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I'm late to this but I thought I'd add some advice. I have a small grove of about 24 trees (Hass, Fuerte and Zutano) in Southern California. Leaf tips turning brown is usually a sign of water problems. When the soil dries out, it leaches salt from the ground (which is bad) and causes the tip burn. If you have spots on the leaves, that's usually a pest like a persea mite. My trees are in Sandy Loam soil. You can tell if they need water by clumping the soil in your hand. If it drips water when you squeeze it, it's too wet. Soil that is too wet will lead to root rot. If it doesn't hold a shape from your fingers when you squeeze it, it's too dry and they'll leach salts from the ground. It should hold the shape from your fingers. They like a lot of water but they don't like sitting in water. It has to drain away. That's why most avocado groves are on hillsides. If you don't have hilly land, build a mound and plant the tree in the middle of it so the water can drain off. They like full sun but they have to be protected from sunburn when they're young if it gets really hot where you are. If the trunk or branches are turning black, they may be getting sunburned. To protect it, mix 1/2 white indoor latex paint and 1/2 water (whitewash) and paint the trunk and any exposed branches with it. Once you get a nice canopy, you can stop painting the trunk. Usually once per year is all that is necessary. Don't let the canopy touch the ground. Keep the canopy trimmed about 2 feet off the ground. My trees usually get two waterings per week in the summer when it's hot and sunny, one short and one long. If I get rain of 1/2" or more, I don't water for about a week. In the winter, when it rains here, I may not need to water at all. They usually don't like pots either. Their roots are shallow and spread out to the canopy of the tree. They can tolerate cold down to about 27F. If you get frost or snow, it will kill the tree. They also like a soil ph of 6 to 6.5. It's normal for leaves to fall in the winter. Leave them around the tree and don't let grass or weeds near them. Resist the temptation to clean up the leaves. They help protect the roots and help keep the soil from drying out too quickly. The licorice smell from a torn leaf is usually the sign of a tree that won't grow avocados. It should have a fresh green smell. Growing from a pit will usually not produce avocados and if it does, it's going to take about 10 to 15 years to produce, and even then, they may not produce good tasting fruit. Most growers buy grafted trees or graft themselves from a verified tree that produces good fruit.
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Well that is a bit cooler and not as dry as I guessed looking at the flat land and wide open sky - or should I say not quite as hot as I thought. Still probably needs 35-40 gallons per day in typical July/August, less with the unusual humidity we have had lately. Conventional wisdom on avos is nothing within the dripline except leaf litter, which you never remove. This promotes the soil conditions which allow the very shallow roots to have access to water and air that they need. I'm not familiar with all the details but understand that avo roots are very different than most trees. I would think that covering much of the root area with concrete like I see in your picture seems incompatible with the tree thriving. One friend put crushed rock under his 20 trees and nearly lost them all, finally resulting in hiring a professional to save them. Avos like lots of water but don't like their roots to be wet, one of the reasons many commercial groves were built on hillsides. Another friend had 80 trees on a hillside that was heavy clay but used to be a commercial growing area. He lost them all from too frequent watering. Because of the heavy clay, water would try to run off and he watered them lightly but often. They like to be watered deeply but the top should be fairly dry before watering them again. I'm not sure how you do that with the tiny area that isn't covered by cement. Hopefully someone will come along with more knowledge than me.
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annie1992
11 years ago
I don't know why either, but it happens regularly here, maybe due to the length of shipping time?

I bought half a dozen, all firm, not even beginning to be soft. When I got them home five of the six were all brown on the inside. I figured if they were overripe, they'd be soft and these weren't, but it was a complete waste.

Avocados are getting cheaper here, I saw them for 39 cents each at a local store, but none of them are good. They are certainly not indigenous to Michigan, LOL, and I've pretty much given up on them entirely, they are so seldom usable.

It's too bad, I like them spread on toast, a healthier alternative to butter.

Annie
Gracie
11 years ago
I had it happen to me last week too, and they only had to travel to Oregon, so I don't think it's time and distance. The ones I bought this week were fine.
magothyrivergirl
11 years ago
I am having the same problem, except I am paying $1.50 each!
The brown is a nasty brown! They do not appear to be over ripe and are not soft to the touch. I think something is happening before we get them - maybe a slight freeze?
I bought 3 last week that had spots of yukky brown.
centralcacyclist
11 years ago
I think they get too cold in storage and transit before they get ripe and then they rot rather than ripen. What a bummer. I've a few like that even in CA.

Eileen
Jasdip
11 years ago
oh no, don't say that! I just bought 2 at 97c each. They are still greenish and very firm. I'm worried about them being brown now. Blech.
kitchendetective
11 years ago
I was told it meant that they had gone through a frost. The refrigeration issue probably functions the same way. Unpredictable from the outside.
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
11 years ago
I've pretty much given up on them during the winter, so I assume like kitchendetective says, they have gone through a frost.

They can be hard yet still brown. I'm going to try the stem thing though. Thanks!
Teresa_MN
11 years ago
If you were to pop the stem out of the avocado at the store - wouldn't that considered damaging the product?

This post was edited by teresa_mn on Wed, Feb 27, 13 at 19:29
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
11 years ago
Maybe, maybe not. It's a two way street, I've bought so much bad produce I was uncompensated for (and still do) that I don't feel guilty doing so.
Teresa_MN
11 years ago
Bumble - have you tried returning produce you felt was unacceptable?
chas045
11 years ago
I think there would be a large amount of returned avocados if everyone did that. I came from CA and they were almost always fine but while I have been in North Carolina, I have found many bad ones, mostly because of fibrous root like stuff and occasionally by the black attack.

I opened this thread hoping that someone here knew how to successfully keeping a half avocado fresh (not brown) for a day or two.
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
11 years ago
Teresa, I appreciate your conscience.
Chi
11 years ago
I dip the exposed side in lemon or lime juice and then wrap tightly with wrap to minimize air exposure. It still gets slightly brown on the very top (can be wiped off but I usually don't bother) but still tasty!
partst
11 years ago
I always have an avocado on the kitchen counter IÃ¢ÂÂm lucky that my little country grocery store only sells California avocadoes. I have found that I never have a bad avocado from California rarely have a bad one from Mexico but always have a stringy, brown one from Chile. Several week ago I read that some avocado growers down south were cutting down there trees because itÃ¢ÂÂs become too expensive to water them so the price will be going up for California Avocadoes.

Avocados brown on the inside!!!!!

Comments (16)

centralcacyclist

cookebook

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