What you see: Garlic cloves deliciously infusing in oil. What it is: A potential harborer of botulism. Eat or toss: This depends entirely on the circumstances.
Brown pattern on pear is perfectly edible (and kind of looks like a map of a faraway land, no?)
What you see: An odd brown pattern on the outside of a pear. What it is: Russeting, a harmless response to water, frost and other environmental conditions. Eat
Can you eat tomatoes with deep but dry holes?
What you see: A dry line running down the outside of a tomato, with a hole or two in its midst. What it is: A sign that, way back when, a part of the tomato
Are the brown spots on cauliflower OK to eat?
What you see: Brown spots on cauliflower. What it is: Bruising, most likely from bumping into other cauliflower heads, or cold temperatures. Eat or toss: Eat!
Dark area on raw salmon
What you see: A dark brownish spot on your salmon, most likely toward the tail. What is is: Bruising. Eat or toss: Eat! If you’re very concerned about
This eggplant looks “scarry,” but it can still make a good meal
What you see: A big scar on your eggplant. What it is: A healed injury. Eat or toss? Eat! Cut off the scar if you’re worried about texture, but this is only the
Black stuff on your fish fillet? It may be a little fish skin
What you see: Something black and soft embedded in your fillet What it is: Most likely a bit of black skin or belly membrane that landed in the wrong spot
This tomato top cracked, but it’s not lost to your salad
What you see: Dried out, cracked lines radiating from the center of the tomato top What it is: Scarring after a growth spurt Eat or toss: Eat! The dry, brown
Black bits on salmon may just be harmless scales
What you see: Unappealing black bits on the surface of your salmon fillet. What it is: Some wayward scales from when the fish was prepped. Eat or toss: Just
This brown broccoli is about to flower!
What you see: Florets that are somewhat loose, and possibly turning brownish colors. What it is: Broccoli buds about to bloom! Eat or toss: Eat! So, can you
Tomato sprouts INSIDE the tomato?
What you see: White and green squiggles in tomato flesh. What it is: Sprouting tomato seeds! Eat or toss: As long as the tomato is intact and not showing signs
I forgot to put my eggs in the fridge…can I still eat them?
What you see: A carton of raw eggs left out overnight. What it is: Eggs that have been stored at a temperature that facilitates bacterial growth. Eat or toss:
Does it matter if a pepper is part green and part red?
What you see: Areas on a red, orange or yellow pepper that are still green What it is: Just portions that are underripe, but totally edible Eat or toss?
An onion of a different color?
What you see: Red onions that turn a bluish, greenish color during cooking. What it is: A harmless reaction of a plant pigment to an alkaline (basic)
Can you eat moldy bread?
What you see: Mold on bread. What it is: Mold. Eat or toss: Toss. Since bread is soft, the mold could have spread into other parts of it. Even if you can’t see
Chew on this: The tale of the roughed up sweet potato
What you see: Holes and chewed areas on the outside of your sweet potato What it is: Love bites, likely from white grubs. Eat or toss: Peel off the damage and
