Can You Eat Cauliflower With Black Spots?

Question: Can you eat cauliflower with black spots? Is it going bad? -Heather G.

Answer: Cauliflower that has been stored for a while is likely to develop light brown freckle-like spots on the heads of the florets. The reason for the discoloration is oxidation, which occurs naturally due to prolonged exposure to light and air. These spots are more likely to occur the longer that the cauliflower has been stored and they do not mean that your cauliflower has gone bad and needs to be tossed out. In most cases, you can still cook with cauliflower after noticing these spots, as long as they haven’t turned dark or black, or started to get mushy.

Though they are still perfectly safe to cook with and to consume, it’s still a good idea to scrape away the largest or most prominent areas of discoloration. The easiest way to remove them is to scrape them off with a knife or cut off the tops of the curds that are the most discolored. If the light brown spots have turned dark brown or black, or if the heads start to get mushy, it’s best to go ahead and discard the cauliflower and buy a new batch, as these are signs of rot and decay.