How to Check if Vegetables Are Spoiled
Check your leafy green vegetables for discoloration and odors., Check your asparagus for discolored tips., Watch for limp, moist green beans., Check your broccoli for limpness and discoloration., Notice if your carrots have become mushy or slimy...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Check your leafy green vegetables for discoloration and odors.
Green vegetables will wilt after a couple days, especially if they're unpackaged.
That is okay and doesn’t mean they are spoiled.
Greens that are close to spoiling will start turning a yellowish color, become slimy, and have a foul odor.You can revitalize leafy greens by soaking their stems in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.
This does not always work, however, so if your leafy greens still look droopy after soaking, go ahead and toss them. -
Step 2: Check your asparagus for discolored tips.
The state of your asparagus can be assessed by looking at the tip.
The tip is usually the first part to go bad.
It will turn dark green or black, and it will become mushy or slimy.
If this happens, you can still eat the asparagus if you cut off the tips and just cook the stems.If the whole asparagus has turned dark green or black, throw it out and don’t eat it. , Fresh green beans only last a few days, so keep an eye on them.
Fresh green beans that are spoiled will be very limp and moist or slimy.Placing green beans in the fridge can extend their shelf life.
Cooked beans are spoiled when they give off a sour odor. , Fresh broccoli stems are firm and the florets will be green.
If the broccoli is going bad, the stem will be limp.
The green color will start to become a shade of yellow.
Generally, the smell will start to become stronger and slightly unpleasant., Fresh carrots can last over a month in the fridge.
Baby carrots will last slightly less time because they have been peeled and have more moisture in the bags.
Carrots that are bad will be mushy and slimy.
If they are slightly limp or still hard, you can still eat them.Carrots will get white dots on them when they are dehydrated.
This doesn’t mean they are spoiled.
It just means they should be eaten soon. , The head of a cauliflower should be white, purple, or light green, and the head should be spongy.
Cauliflower that is going bad starts to develop brown spots.
These spots can be cut off.
If the head is white under the brown spots, you can still eat it.If the entire head is brown, if the cauliflower has a bad odor, or if it is slimy, you need to throw it out. , Celery stores well in the fridge, lasting up to four weeks.
Celery that is going bad turns a whitish color and hollows out.
Individual stalks also start to spread from the rest of the bunch, and they are soft and bendy., Large onions, shallots, and heads of garlic can last up to two months in the fridge, while the smaller ones can last a couple of weeks.
They can even last up to four weeks outside of the fridge.
When onions start to spoil, they develop brown or black sports on them.
They may also have areas that are soft or start to mold.You can cut out soft or moldy spots and check the surrounding area.
If it isn’t soft or discolored, you can eat the onion. , Squash will become bruised and mushy when it's spoiled.
Winter squash can last a couple of months, while summer squash will only last for around a week.
Any squash that is soft, mushy, slimy, or moldy has gone bad., Potatoes can have natural toxins that are resistant to cooking and high temperatures.
If your potato has green sections on the skin, potato flesh, sprouts, or eyes, don’t eat them and toss them out.If your potato tastes bitter but doesn’t have green spots, you should also get rid of them. -
Step 3: Watch for limp
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Step 4: moist green beans.
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Step 5: Check your broccoli for limpness and discoloration.
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Step 6: Notice if your carrots have become mushy or slimy.
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Step 7: Monitor your cauliflower for brown spots and bad odors.
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Step 8: Look for softer
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Step 9: lighter celery.
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Step 10: Look for brown spots on your onions.
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Step 11: Check your squash for leakage.
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Step 12: Throw out green or bitter potatoes.
Detailed Guide
Green vegetables will wilt after a couple days, especially if they're unpackaged.
That is okay and doesn’t mean they are spoiled.
Greens that are close to spoiling will start turning a yellowish color, become slimy, and have a foul odor.You can revitalize leafy greens by soaking their stems in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.
This does not always work, however, so if your leafy greens still look droopy after soaking, go ahead and toss them.
The state of your asparagus can be assessed by looking at the tip.
The tip is usually the first part to go bad.
It will turn dark green or black, and it will become mushy or slimy.
If this happens, you can still eat the asparagus if you cut off the tips and just cook the stems.If the whole asparagus has turned dark green or black, throw it out and don’t eat it. , Fresh green beans only last a few days, so keep an eye on them.
Fresh green beans that are spoiled will be very limp and moist or slimy.Placing green beans in the fridge can extend their shelf life.
Cooked beans are spoiled when they give off a sour odor. , Fresh broccoli stems are firm and the florets will be green.
If the broccoli is going bad, the stem will be limp.
The green color will start to become a shade of yellow.
Generally, the smell will start to become stronger and slightly unpleasant., Fresh carrots can last over a month in the fridge.
Baby carrots will last slightly less time because they have been peeled and have more moisture in the bags.
Carrots that are bad will be mushy and slimy.
If they are slightly limp or still hard, you can still eat them.Carrots will get white dots on them when they are dehydrated.
This doesn’t mean they are spoiled.
It just means they should be eaten soon. , The head of a cauliflower should be white, purple, or light green, and the head should be spongy.
Cauliflower that is going bad starts to develop brown spots.
These spots can be cut off.
If the head is white under the brown spots, you can still eat it.If the entire head is brown, if the cauliflower has a bad odor, or if it is slimy, you need to throw it out. , Celery stores well in the fridge, lasting up to four weeks.
Celery that is going bad turns a whitish color and hollows out.
Individual stalks also start to spread from the rest of the bunch, and they are soft and bendy., Large onions, shallots, and heads of garlic can last up to two months in the fridge, while the smaller ones can last a couple of weeks.
They can even last up to four weeks outside of the fridge.
When onions start to spoil, they develop brown or black sports on them.
They may also have areas that are soft or start to mold.You can cut out soft or moldy spots and check the surrounding area.
If it isn’t soft or discolored, you can eat the onion. , Squash will become bruised and mushy when it's spoiled.
Winter squash can last a couple of months, while summer squash will only last for around a week.
Any squash that is soft, mushy, slimy, or moldy has gone bad., Potatoes can have natural toxins that are resistant to cooking and high temperatures.
If your potato has green sections on the skin, potato flesh, sprouts, or eyes, don’t eat them and toss them out.If your potato tastes bitter but doesn’t have green spots, you should also get rid of them.
About the Author
Cheryl Rogers
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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