What you see: Your yogurt’s surface looks pitted, with tiny depressions. What it is: Probably the remnants of some tiny bubbles generated during processing. Eat
Moldy eggs
What you see: Your eggs have something unexpected, likely black, growing on the surface or possibly inside the shells. They look like the eggs in the images in
Orange dots on your blueberries?
What you see: Orange dots on your blueberries. What it is: Spore masses!Eat or toss: Toss the spotty berries, but unaffected ones will probably be
Wispy white spots on blueberries
What you see: Cottony white spots on your blueberries; probably where the stem attached or where there might have been a wound in the blueberry’s skin. What it
Yes, the black, sooty stuff on onions is mold — but don’t panic
What you see: Powdery black lines, clusters, dots or smudges on your onion. You may see black sooty stuff on the paper-like exterior and/or the inner
Black lines under shrimp shell
What you see: Dark lines on your shrimp’s flesh. What it is: Likely, naturally occurring discoloration. Eat or toss: Eat! As long as the shrimp smells
Peach with black spots
What you see: Peaches with black spots. What it is: Peach scab, a disease that tends to stay on the surface. Eat or toss: Peel. If the flesh below
Shallow blackened holes on potato’s exterior
What you see: Blackish spots or holes on your potatoes like those pictured above; they may go below the peel. What it is: Likely pores that were damaged and
Black speck in your hardboiled egg white?
What you see: A black speck in the white of your hard boiled eggWhat it is: A naturally occurring “blood spot” or “meat spot” that turned black after exposure
Sunken black spots on an apple’s skin
What you see: Dark, possibly black, sunken spots on your apple’s skin. What it is: Bitter pit. Eat or toss: Peel and eat! This disorder usually doesn’t go very
Brown dots or streaks in your avocado?
What you see: Brown and black streaks or dots in avocado flesh What it is: Vascular browning! Mmmm! Eat or toss? The avocado is edible, but may not taste as
Gasp! Weird spots on your potato
What you see: Spots on your potato’s skin; they likely each have a larger outer circle and a dot at the center What it is: An infection of the little structures
You can eat lettuce with little brown spots like these
What you see: Brown dots on your lettuce, especially along the lower parts of the ribs. What it is: Russet spotting! Eat or toss: Eat! This is harmless (for
These white crystals are badges of savory cheese honor
What you see: White dots in your aged Italian-style or gouda cheeses that are clearly not mold. What it is: Crystals of an amino acid called tyrosine. Eat or
Don’t be bitter about these dark, sunken spots on your apple. The rest is still sweet
What you see: Little, dark sunken spots on the outside of your apple; and/or brown spots just underneath the skin. What it is: Bitter pit, a defect caused by
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!
