If you’re not already an avocado aficionado, how they look and how they feel can help you determine how ripe they are.
“If the avocado yields to firm gentle pressure, it’s ripe and ready to eat. They have a darker color and feel slightly soft but not ‘mushy’ to the touch,” says Widjaja. “Unripe avocados are firm and will have a bright green color.“
If you store unripe avocados in the fridge, they’ll ripen much more slowly and last longer.
How To Preserve Half an Avocado
You know what can happen when you only eat half of a perfectly ripe and tasty avocado. It seems like just moments later, the remainder starts to turn brown. There are tricks to keeping it fresh.
“If you want to save your other half, to prevent the oxidation to occur, you can lightly coat the exposed flesh with lime or lemon juice and limit its exposure by covering it tightly with clear plastic wrap,” says Widjaja. Store this remaining avocado in the refrigerator.
Should You Store Avocados In Water?
You may have read that storing avocados (whole or cut) in water can keep them fresher longer. Widjaja says this isn’t a great idea.
“This may allow residual human pathogens like listeria or salmonella on the fruit’s exterior to multiply when submerged in water,” she says. “This storage hack puts you at risk for foodborne illnesses, negating their goodness.”
How To Speed Up Ripening
If you want some avocado toast really soon but your avocado isn’t ripe, you can hurry up the ripening process.
Place your avocado with some fruits or vegetables that produce ethylene, a gas that can speed up ripening. Pair your avocado with an apple or banana in a brown bag or just put the avocado underneath bananas in the fruit bowl, Widjaja suggests.
How To Pick the Perfect Avocados
Avocado selection totally depends on when you want to eat them.
“If you’re buying avocados ahead of time for an event, then pick unripe, firm green avocados four to five days ahead,” Widjaja says. You may have heard that you should remove the stem cap of an avocado to check on ripeness. But Widjaja says that’s not a good idea.
She says, “It triggers premature oxidation that can negatively affect color, texture, and taste when you are ready to eat.”
