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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Avocados are deceitful little bastards

134 replies

likelysuspect · 02/03/2026 20:10

Look ripe. Feel ripe.

Not ripe

Five minutes later. Over ripe.

OP posts:
damelza · 05/03/2026 17:25

likelysuspect · 05/03/2026 17:05

Its lemon or lime juice or some sort of other acid if its a UPF

however I have tried that at home, wiped lemon juice over the avocado that Ive cut in half and it just hasnt worked, nor mushing it up with lemon or lime juice, still goes brown

Another point against them in the portfolio. Its not looking good Avo.

Show quote history

Must be a chemical, since I did exactly what you did, and it didn't work to keep them green either. But I just threw them in the blitzed up fruit mix for the porridge, being brown or slightly hard doesn't matter then.

Isittimeformynapyet · 05/03/2026 17:14

YANBU OP.

I love a good avocado. I used to have half an avo every day in a smoothie and then, bang! They suddenly gave me a horrible tummy ache, for days.

I know intolerances can come and go, but I'm too scared of that tummy ache to find out if I'd still be affected after several years.

walkingaroundsostrenegrene · 05/03/2026 17:14

Finally, an avocado bashing thread. They give me the shits, the little bastards.

Callalilly2016 · 05/03/2026 17:09

I had no idea you could buy frozen avocado! Amazing discovery, thanks ☺️

Original poster
likelysuspect · 05/03/2026 17:05

damelza · 05/03/2026 17:03

How do shops keep the tubs of smashed avocado from going brown please? Some chemical, lemon juice, what?

Its lemon or lime juice or some sort of other acid if its a UPF

however I have tried that at home, wiped lemon juice over the avocado that Ive cut in half and it just hasnt worked, nor mushing it up with lemon or lime juice, still goes brown

Another point against them in the portfolio. Its not looking good Avo.

OP posts:
damelza · 05/03/2026 17:03

How do shops keep the tubs of smashed avocado from going brown please? Some chemical, lemon juice, what?

Original poster
likelysuspect · 05/03/2026 16:53

Im still wading through this stupid little thing

And I can confirm that the stalk test does not work. This thing is still like concrete but the stalk came out when I barely looked at it and touched it earlier

I still have a quarter left tomorrow

Im microwaving it for a bit as suggested, still hard.

OP posts:
outdooryone · 05/03/2026 16:49

Easterbunnygettingawrapping · 02/03/2026 20:11

Food of the devil imo.

I too detest them, unless buried in a hot Mexican meal...

Mumandcarer80 · 04/03/2026 13:57

Make sure they have the stalk when you buy them. Don’t remove to check if they’re green. I buy them hard and ripen at home. I don’t buy them with my online order as I can’t check them myself. We get a lot of avocados as they’re good for people with epilepsy. 99% of the time mine are lovely green and ripe.

Strawberrydelight78 · 03/03/2026 08:17

I had a perfect one last night. It felt a bit too firm but I cut into it was just about the right ripeness.

Lovelynames123 · 03/03/2026 08:10

Buy frozen, defrost as you need it, always perfect

OverlyFragrant · 03/03/2026 08:06

Top tip.
Wiggle the stalk nib to check ripeness.
If it doesn't budge = unripe
If it wiggles a tiny bit = ready in a day or so
If it wiggles a lot = ready and delicious
If it falls out = potentially overripe according to tastes.

This works as naturally, the fruit falls off the tree when ripened. We pick the fruits too early but the stalk still readies to detach as if it were on the tree.

Theseventhmagpie · 03/03/2026 07:57

Don’t think I’ve ever managed to eat one without having to cut out dodgy looking bits 😞

thenewaveragebear1983 · 03/03/2026 07:38

And don’t even get me started on these 🤦‍♀️ we eat with our eyes and these look like nasty bitter little devils

Avocados are deceitful little bastards
AgnesX · 03/03/2026 07:38

They've been taking lessons from mangos 🥭

thenewaveragebear1983 · 03/03/2026 07:36

Urgh nectarines too, I stopped buying them last summer because they would be so spongey and not a drop of juice. A nectarine should be such a juice monster that you have to do the “elbow out and lean” in order to save your clothes and anything less juicy than that is dead to me.

as an aside, our local park has several British plum varieties that grow freely and every day when walking my dog last summer we would stop by for a plum or two, the king of fruits. British seasonal fruit is the food of the gods, the mistake we are making is buying things that have been shipped in rock form halfway round the world then artificially ripened. “Ripen in the fruit bowl” 🤮

CurlewKate · 03/03/2026 07:06

And apricots. All orange and innocent…

OvernightBloats · 03/03/2026 07:06

Avocados are so fragile that by the time I have got them home, they are bruised. I carry them like they are the crown jewels but still they can get damaged. Worth it though! Cutting into a perfect, flawless avocado makes a good day better! 😀

Can I add apples to the deceitful list? Looking beautiful from the outside and then... you bite into them and the texture is woolley and dry. Then there is the disappointment of knowing you have to eat the rest of the pack!

UnNiddeRides · 03/03/2026 06:57

ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 02/03/2026 22:08

They’ve got to up their game with the free toys.
I’ve got loads of wooden balls already.

🥑

This has given me a great giggling start to the day!

Phoenix321 · 03/03/2026 06:50

OP I feel your pain. The absolute best supermarket Avocados I find are the Waitrose Extra Large double pack but as they are quite pricey at £3.50 I just save those for a treat! Currently pregnant and been craving avocado, tomato, mozarella and balsamic vinegar so have had to try and perfect my avocado selection skills. As an aside, I grew up on the Avocado baby book so maybe that influenced my love for avocados!

StarlightLady · 03/03/2026 06:44

If you talk about them like that they won’t behave. You have to be nice to them 😀.

PolkaDotPorridge · 03/03/2026 06:28

likelysuspect · 02/03/2026 20:26

Three percent of the votes say I am unreasonable

Thats the Avocado Growers Association.

🤣

namechange62 · 03/03/2026 06:07

Oh OP I agree! So many salads ruined because I thought that the 🥑 was going to be just right.
But no.. it's flesh was spoilt.
But then again if I open it up and it's perfect I'm happy all day!

TurnipsAndParsnips · 03/03/2026 06:07

See also nectarines

mjf981 · 03/03/2026 05:41

Depends on the type too. I'm Australia but with me:

Shepherd avocados - never get properly ripe and even when you think they're 'overripe' they still have a hard texture to them. I never buy them

Hass avocados - go from firm to soft and brown within about 48 hours. Also can ripen rapidly overnight so have to check and put them in the fridge if not ready to eat. Far and away nicer taste/texture when perfect though.