Is it safe to eat guacamole after it's turned dark green (but not brown)? | Covering the Intersections of Race, Culture, Sexuality, and Fashion | 48min Is it safe to eat guacamole after it's turned dark green (but not brown)? | Covering the Intersections of Race, Culture, Sexuality, and Fashion | 48min

Is it safe to eat guacamole after it’s turned dark green (but not brown)?

Anyone that’s ever dealt with store-bought avocados knows how time-sensitive they can be – a day too late and the avocado has gone from perfect to bad. As you’d expect, guacamole is even more sensitive. That’s because it’s the avocado meat without the the protective qualities of the skin and pit to ward off oxidation.

Dark Green Guac and Avocado: Is It Bad? 

How many hundreds of gallons of brown guacamole is being tossed away every single day? That’s because we know that not only does brown guacamole or avocado look bad, but it doesn’t taste very good either (if you’re able to even bring yourself to eat it). But what about dark green guacamole? We’re not talking a dark-green in the sense of green, but a dark green that’s halfway between green and brown.

As unappetizing as it may look, dark green guacamole is still very much edible. Avocado has a lot of natural oils, so it doesn’t go “bad” as quickly as other foods; just changes colors faster.

If it’s bad, usually the smell will tell you so or you’ll see mold. Take a sniff before moving forward and if it’s odorless or still smells like guacamole, go for it!

Dark green just means the guacamole has lost some of it’s flavor — making it nearly flavorless. But if you’re like me and hate wasting food, then there’s some things you can do to continue eating it. Break out some flavored chips (lime flavored?) or add red onions, garlic and/or chili powder so you can enjoy the leftover with some more kick to it.

How to Keep Guacamole and Avocados From Getting Darker

Storing any food properly is going to allow it to keep longer, so it’s no surprise sensitive food items need more maintenance, more often. In order to keep your guacamole from getting darker (going bad), one has to now allow oxygen to hit it. Oxidation is what turns your guac from delicious to completely inedible.

Keeping your avocados in the refrigerator will delay the process; slowly down the ripening of the avocados. Storing your guacamole in a air-tight container in the refrigerator will do it very well, too, but before you do place (submerge) the avocado’s pit into the guac as the pit helps to keep the guac from turning brown. Also, squeezing lemon on top of your guacamole will give it a protective layer (reapplying to the top after you’ve eaten some) that maintains the guacamole’s properties where they are.

These three steps will ensure your guac stays as bright green as long as it can (spoiler: it’s usually only 2-3 days).

One Comment

  • rathernotsay commented on August 6, 2020 Reply

    Thanks! I have some guac that I can only assume should be consumed at in one meal/party, because even though it’s sealed tight and in the fridge, the top layer turns a dark green. Underneath the guac looks normal, which makes the dark green that much more unappetizing. But, it smells good to me, so based on this I’m not letting good fat go to waste!

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