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One small dry spot on firm broccoli can often be trimmed. If dark areas are wet, sunken, fuzzy, spreading through the florets, slimy, or bad-smelling, discard the broccoli.
Small dry spots on an otherwise firm head are usually a quality problem you can trim. Dark areas that are wet, sunken, fuzzy, widespread, slimy, or bad-smelling are signs to toss the cauliflower.
Light yellowing is usually a freshness and quality change, not a safety problem by itself. Firm, dry cauliflower without mold or off odors can still be cooked; wet softness and decay change the answer.
A bitter eggplant is often simply overmature. Large seeds, spongy flesh, and dull skin support that explanation; discard it if bitterness comes with wet rot, slime, mold, or an off odor.
Dark seeds alone do not mean an eggplant has spoiled. They often show that the fruit is more mature, and cold storage can also brown seeds; judge the flesh for firmness, wet decay, mold, and off odors.
Dry flexibility can be water loss; slime is different. Beans that are wet, slippery, collapsing, moldy, or foul-smelling should be discarded.
Brown seeds or light browning in firm, dry eggplant flesh can be a maturity or storage change. Dark brown tissue that is water-soaked, slimy, moldy, collapsing, or foul-smelling is a different case.
Slimy or collapsing asparagus tips indicate decay. Remove an isolated damaged spear only if every other spear is firm and sound; multiple slimy tips or an off odor are reasons to discard the bunch.
Wrinkles, dry cut ends, and some flexibility usually reflect water loss and age. Sound spears are still usable; slimy tips, wet breakdown, mold, or bad odor are reasons to discard.
Dry localized brown spots can be a storage or quality defect rather than rot. Check the tissue around them: wetness, softness, slime, mold, or an off odor change the answer.
A celery stalk that bends has often lost moisture. If it is dry and sound with no slime, mold, watery rot, or off odor, it is still usable even though the crunch has faded.
Black color alone does not answer the question. A dry shallow spot on an otherwise firm carrot can be trimmed; dark tissue that is wet, soft, slimy, moldy, deep, or foul-smelling should be discarded.