Read This Before Eating An Unripe Avocado

There are possibly few things in life that beat the taste of a ripe and creamy avocado, but often determining if the green meat inside is the perfect shade of green can prove to be a lot trickier than expected. The agony of slicing into an avocado only to find it is unripe is truly a disappointing feeling, but now what? Do you go ahead and eat it or toss it into the garbage can? If you're like us, you might just opt to eat it, as you remember the incredible health benefits this fruit has along with the price tag! But as you question its ripeness, did you ever stop to think if eating an unripe avocado is healthy? We did the research so you don't have to.

Whether it's spread on toast or made into guacamole, it's no secret that avocados might be one of the most enjoyed fruits for Americans, as it's one of the top 20 favored fruits across the country (via Produce Marketing Association), and have quickly turned into an absolute staple in most diets across the country as consumption has tripled since 2001 to 8 pounds per person in 2018 — and continues to steadily climb, according to the USDA.

But are unripe avocados actually toxic to humans? According to nutritionist Anna Jasonides, R.D., they most certainly are not (via MIT Medical). We're unsure how this rumor exactly began, but while non-allergic humans are okay to eat unripe avocados, you might want to steer clear of feeding any to horses, birds, and domestic animals, as the fatty acid derivative found in avocados called "persin" can cause illness or death in birds and domestic mammals.

Luckily for our taste palettes and pockets, rest assured knowing that next time you slice into an unripe avocado you'll be perfectly safe to eat it, but perhaps should still reconsider due to the awful taste. Next time you're purchasing avocados, give it a gentle squeeze in the palm of your hand to test the ripeness. A ripe avocado should yield to the gentle pressure (via California Avocado Commision).