What is this black thing I found on the inside of my orange?

September 27, 2008 1:43 AM

producefilter: I found a black dot on the inside of an orange slice (the orange is not rotten). What is it?

After cutting open an orange I just bought today, I found a black dot near one of the ends of a slice. It's definitely not mold. I cut the section out and examined it but still couldn't really tell what it was. The black substance was mushy and didn't look like it was a bug of any sort. Okay, here's a picture. LEINK

Otherwise, the orange was delicious and nourishing.

posted by defmute to home & garden (4 comments total)

I think it's a moldy spot. Mold can initially grow in a limited area before affecting the surrounding fruit. I think you just caught it early, before it had a chance to grow. Glad you enjoyed it.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 2:37 AM on September 27, 2008

Yeah that really looks like mold to me.
posted by aubilenon at 3:19 AM on September 27, 2008

Yeah, looks like mold, maybe some kind of fungus? I've heard that you should throw fruit out after 10 days to prevent this sort of thing, but I just kinda peel around it if it comes to that.

I live dangerously.

(And yes, I am poor.)
posted by jnaps at 4:38 AM on September 27, 2008

It would help to know the origin of the fruit, and whether it's organic or not. Fungus needs air to propagate, so unless there was some kind of opening in the skin prior to the slicing, it's not likely that this is a fungus. Could be an insect's larvae.
posted by watercarrier at 11:25 AM on September 27, 2008