Comments on: What's up with my avocado?

Question: What's up with my avocado?

sublivious — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 12:10:41 -0800

I bought a sandwich that had an avocado with these brown root-like tentacles in the flesh but was otherwise normal looking and tasting. Any idea what that's about? I'd be interested to know if this is a common occurance and the cause. I've never seen anything like it before and I've enjoyed zillions of avocados in my life. There's a photo and a bit more info inside.

I tried to pull one of them out of the flesh but it was really in there! It wouldn't budge before it broke where my fingers gripped it. They look and feel like roots. Unfortunately the avocado wasn't cut by me so I don't know what the rest of it looked like.

By: typewriter

typewriter — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 12:12:27 -0800

That happens to avocadoes that are getting very ripe. I like mine a bit less ripe, but it's all good.

By: Lyn Never

Lyn Never — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 12:29:05 -0800

About one of every 4 of the avocados I buy end up looking like that. It is just overripeness, and no they really don't pull out.

Once they get branchy I don't like the way they taste, but I've always been under the impression that it wasn't harmful or anything.

By: sublivious

sublivious — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 12:47:03 -0800

Guess the photo was edited out. Here's a link.

By: sublivious

sublivious — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 12:47:46 -0800

Oh and thanks for the answers so far by the way.

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:15:18 -0800

I hate it when avocados get like that.

By: lekvar

lekvar — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:22:52 -0800

This is pretty common. You might also detect a slight musk to the avocado. As typewriter noted, it's a sign of an older avocado. Still perfectly edible though.

By: AthenaPolias

AthenaPolias — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:30:49 -0800

yep, totally edible... until the next time I have an overripe avocado and can't eat it because I keep thinking of tentacles growing in it.... ;)

By: bingo

bingo — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 20:05:25 -0800

For what it's worth, I've eaten thousands of avocados myself, and I've never seen that either. Brownness yes, tentacles no.

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 21:18:22 -0800

I'd eaten tons of brown avocados but never saw the tentacles until I bought an avocado in the UK. I wonder if it's a question of the species/variety of avocado?

By: Rash

Rash — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 08:35:47 -0800

I hate it when avocados get like that.

And unlike the comments upthread, I don't find an avo which has 'turned' this way perfectly edible. Part of the eating pleasure is the texture, which is ruined when these fiberous growths appear. I'm pretty sure I've only seen it in Hass avocados, since that's the only kind I buy.

By: snofoam

snofoam — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 09:56:34 -0800

According to the California Avocado Commission, stringiness in the pulp of avocado fruit is associated with tree juvenility. In young vigorous trees, the fruit grows very rapidly and a small amount of cellulose fiber is sometimes deposited along the xylem vessels (water conduits) of the fruit. It's essentially dietary fiber, and although it may have a slightly undesirable texture, it is harmless.

Not sure if that's true, but I found it here.

For the record, I don't like them either.