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How to Pick an Avocado using the Stem

How to Pick an Avocado Using the Stem

We all know how difficult it is to pick an avocado that is going to be perfect. We have been trying to perfect that art since 2014 and we are still learning everyday. Mother Nature will always keep us on our toes. Through the years we have learned a few pointers from trial and error. Of course, color and texture (feel) are key elements to guessing whether an avocado is ready to eat. A third element is the stem nub and what it can help us figure out. 

The stem nub is the part that connected the fruit to the tree before harvets and just like on an apple or a peach, when cut from the tree the stem usually stays on the fruit. That stem is almost like a cap and when removed it can help unveil a bit about the fruit before you cut it. 

If you have to pick a fruit at the supermarket check out larger checklist article that can at best guide you to make the most educated choice in the pile of fruit you have in front of you. 

This video focuses specifically on the stem and what it can tell you. We picked 3 avocados, which seemed to be in their prime based on color and feel. 2 had similar stem appearance:

Avocado Stem Nub Macro shot #1
The 3rd avocado had no stem. The fruit with no stem showed a healthy tree bark coloration. This happens when the fruit is picked and the stem is removed at harvest. The fruit naturally heals up the open hole like a scar:
Avocado with no Stem attached. 
We proceeded to check the fruit flesh color under each stem. The first stem was a bit more attached on the first fruit and unveiled green even flesh when removed. The 2nd stem came off easier and unveiled a greyish flesh which indicated a most likely oxidized flesh.

We proceeded to opening all three avocados and observed that the fruit with stem and green looking flesh and the bark "no stem" fruit were perfect. The third with greyish flesh show oxydation which was slowly spreading. Cutting that part off and eating the rest of the fruit was just fine. Check out our 1 min video to discover more!

If you don't want to deal with the hassle to choose, just take 5 min and order with us. We take that guessing game away so you can enjoy perfect avocados every single time.