Avocado Turns Brown: You slice a fresh, green avocado and out of the blue, it becomes brown within minutes. Hold on to it before you dump it, because let me clear this out: browning in avocados is, in fact, this natural chemical reaction commonly called enzymatic oxidation.

Under normal conditions, the oxidation of the flesh of the fruit begins with the enzyme polyphenol oxidase, which combines with oxygen to create melanin (the pigment responsible for coloring our skin and hair). The downside is that the flesh will start to darken due to this exchange with oxygen, forming the brown layer seen all over the avocado.

Brown avocados: safe for consumption?

Luckily, a brown avocado is not rotten or poisonous. This change in color is superficial without any safety implications. The flesh is still completely safe to eat as long as it doesn’t smell weird or have mold, or if it doesn’t feel slimy. It could taste bitter, but that is still for your consumption. Just cut the top layer away for better flavor.

Having said that, if an avocado is completely brown or black on the inside and smells bad, throw it away—it has become overripe and you just stalled its onset of rotting.

Does Browning Affect the Nutrition?

A little oxidation may decrease vitamin C but can’t significantly alter the nutrient profile. Browning will not affect the other key nutrients, like beneficial fats, fiber, and potassium; that is all of what is present in an avocado. So, when you see your avocado tending toward the dark, be cheered that your avocado still provides you the majority of its nutritional power.

How Do You Prevent the Browning?

Here’s one way of keeping your avocado green:

1. Add lemon or lime juice- The acid helps retard oxidation.

2. Gift-wrap it- Rebond with a press of plastic wrap on the surface or store it with the pit.

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3. Chill- For in its reckless exuberance, chilling oneself out a bit might retard the browning reaction.

To sum up, brown avocado may not look very palatable to sight, but in essence, it should be quite nutritious and good to consume. With a bit of intelligent storage, nearly every cream-like fruit you love can be made fresh and healthy.

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