Did you buy an unripe avocado? No problem! When you buy an unripe avocado, you don't have to wait days for it to ripen. There is a trick that allows you to make the avocado soft and juicy much faster.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you find the perfect avocado at the grocery store, only to find out that it's hard as a rock? When we buy avocados, we often come across hard fruits, because they are not fully ripe yet. Instead of waiting a few days for it to soften naturally, you can speed up the ripening process considerably right at home.
The classic method with an apple or banana
Your new avocado ripening best friend? An apple! Or a banana. Yes, you read that right. If you put an unripe avocado in a paper bag with an apple or banana, the ripening process will be much faster. Why? These fruits release ethylene gas, which acts as a natural ripening accelerator. Simply place the avocado and apple in a paper bag, seal and leave at room temperature.
The result? Athe avocado will be ripe in about 1-3 days. To check if it's soft enough, squeeze it gently after a few days - it shouldn't be too hard, but not too soft either, as an overripe avocado quickly turns brown and mushy.
Accelerated version - ripening in the oven
If you need a ripe avocado immediately, there is an even more radical but effective trick: use the oven! No, you will not bake it, but only gently "accelerate" its ripening. The procedure is simple: wrap the avocado in aluminum foil and place it in an oven heated to approximately 90 °C. Leave it there for 10-15 minutes. The heat will accelerate the release of ethylene and the avocado will become softer.
After this step, leave the avocado to cool and you can prepare it for immediate use – perhaps for delicious guacamole or healthy avocado-covered toast.
Storing Avocados: What Happens If You Leave It Too Long?
But if your avocado happens to ripen earlier than you planned, don't leave it on the counter! When the avocado is fully ripe, store it in the refrigerator. Cooler temperatures will slow further ripening and prolong its freshness. That way, a ripe avocado can wait a few more days in the fridge before you use it.
What if the avocado is too hard and has no apple?
If you don't have an apple or banana on hand and the avocado is still very hard, the best tactic is to simply wait. Leave it at room temperature, but not in the refrigerator, as the ripening will be stopped in the cold. Give it a few days to ripen naturally.
A tool for avocado lovers: proper cutting and storage
So that your avocado does not fall apart unnecessarily, it is important to know how to cut it correctly. Start with a knife that you cut lengthwise and then cut in half. Remove the center with a spoon and voila! If you have half left over, brush it with lemon juice and wrap tightly in plastic wrap before storing in the refrigerator.
The perfect avocado: what to look out for
When buying an avocado, you should be guided by its hardness and color. If the avocado is already slightly soft when gently pressed, it is very likely that it is ripe or will ripen in a day or two. A ripe avocado also has a darker, more "ripe" green or even slightly blackish color. An unripe avocado, however, is usually bright green and very hard.
Ripening avocados at home is not complicated at all, and even less boring if you know a few tricks. A paper bag and an apple will be your new best friends in the fight against hard avocados. But if time is not your ally, the oven is the quick solution that you can use for immediate results. Whatever you choose, enjoy a perfectly ripe avocado and prepare something delicious!
