That time an old guy at Publix taught me about produce

Must be 6 or 7 years ago now, I was standing in the produce section at Publix near my old place in Tampa. This older gentleman, probably 70s, saw me squeezing avocados like I knew what I was doing. He just chuckled and said 'you gotta check the little stem nub, son, if it pops off easy it's ready. That squeezing just bruises em.' I still think about that guy every time I pick out an avocado. Has anyone else gotten random grocery advice from strangers that actually stuck with you?

2 comments

2 Comments

adam_nguyen714d ago

I mean, what was he even doing touching your avocado in the first place? You were just trying to pick fruit, not get a lecture from some random guy who probably learned his produce tips from a 1980s episode of some PBS show. And now you're telling me you still think about him every time you buy an avocado? That sounds less like good advice and more like a stranger guilt-tripping you into his weird fruit inspection ritual. Last time I checked, squeezing an avocado doesn't ruin it forever unless you're trying to crush it into guacamole right there in the store. Honestly, people just need to mind their own business at the grocery store.

seanjohnson14d ago

Not to nitpick too hard @adam_nguyen7, but actually squeezing an avocado too hard can bruise the flesh inside, even if you don't crush it. I've definitely ruined a few by being too aggressive, and you don't see the damage until you cut it open later and find brown spots. That old guy might have been onto something with the gentle palm test instead of thumbing it. But yeah, he still had no business grabbing your fruit or lecturing you in the first place. People need to learn that unsolicited advice at the grocery store is almost never welcome, even if it's technically correct.