How to store avocados: ripening, freezing & more
A perfectly ripe avocado is deliciously creamy and nutritious. But if stored incorrectly, an avocado may remain unripe or even spoil. Find out how to store avocados as well as how to make them ripen faster.
When it comes to storing fruits and vegetables, there is no universal rule. Each has its own requirements, and that includes the popular avocado (Persea americana). Read on to find out how and where to store avocados after purchasing or harvesting, so that you can enjoy your avocado at its best.
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How to tell if an avocado is ripe
There are different ways to store an avocado, each of which being dependent on how ripe the avocado is. A soft and ripe avocado should be stored in such a way that the ripening process is slowed down. A hard and unripe avocado, on the other hand, may be stored in such a way that accelerates ripening. Sometimes, you might like to store an avocado that has already been cut in half. Here too there are tips and tricks which will keep your avocado fresh. First, it is important to know how to tell if an avocado is ripe and whether it has been harvested at the correct time. The following characteristics help to determine an avocado’s ripeness:
- Unevenly dark coloured skin or spots: this avocado has experienced temperature fluctuations during storage and the flesh may be discoloured.
- Green and firm: such an unripe avocado can be stored for a long time.
- Green and soft: if the variety is ‘Shepherd’, ‘Bacon’, ‘Ettinger’ or another green-skinned variety, this avocado is ripe and ready to eat.
- Variety ‘Hass’ soft and dark coloured: this avocado is ripe and ready to eat.
- Variety ‘Hass’ green coloured: this avocado has been harvested at the wrong time, since ‘Hass’ varieties should be dark-skinned.
Can you eat unripe avocado? Whilst a ripe avocado certainly tastes better, unripe avocados are perfectly safe to eat! However, to be enjoyed at their best, avocados should be left to ripen before eating.
Tip: another trick for how to tell if you have a ripe avocado or not is to remove the little cap on the top of the fruit, where it was once joined to the stem. If the flesh underneath is a light, creamy green, the avocado is probably ripe and ready to eat. If the flesh is browning, the avocado has already gone bad. If the cap is not easy to remove, the avocado is still unripe.
Where to store avocados: fridge vs room temperature?
Depending on whether the avocado is ripe or not, you can either store it in the fridge or at room temperature. A perfectly ripe avocado is best eaten right away. If this is not possible, the best way to store ripe avocados is in the fridge for a maximum of 2 to 3 days. Any longer and the avocado may brown inside.
Unripe avocados, on the other hand, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The low temperature slows down the ripening process. The crisper drawer is suitable for storing avocados in the fridge, as the lower humidity in this compartment helps to keep produce fresh. Do not store ‘Hass’ avocados below 5 °C or green-skinned avocados below 6 °C. After 2 weeks at the latest, the avocados should then be left at room temperature for a few days to ripen.
Tip: when storing avocados in the fridge in order to delay ripening, do not store other already-ripened fruits or vegetables, such as apples, in the fridge at the same time. These release a ripening gas, the phytohormone ethylene, which accelerates ripening.
If you want to speed up the ripening of an unripe avocado, the fridge is not the best option. Instead, store unripe avocados at room temperature.
Can you store an avocado in water? Although some methods suggest storing an avocado in water to prolong its shelf-life, this is not recommended. Water encourages the growth of bacteria which can lead to food borne illnesses such as salmonella. It is best to store avocados in dry environments to avoid such health hazards.
How to store half an avocado
Have you ever cut an avocado in half and wondered how to store half an avocado? You can easily store the other half in the fridge to keep it fresh for longer. It is best to store the half with the seed still inside and skin on. Not only does the seed contain substances which help the avocado to last longer, it also stops part of the flesh from coming into contact with oxygen, which would turn the avocado brown. Squeeze a little lemon juice onto the other parts of the exposed flesh to prevent browning. Wrap the avocado half tightly in cling film, place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 1 to 3 days.
Tip: once you have eaten the whole avocado, you can use the seed to plant an avocado and grow a houseplant. If you are interested in regrowing avocados, as well as other fruits or vegetables from your kitchen, you might like to read our Plantura Regrow Your Veggies book!
- Easy-to-follow instructions & beautiful illustrations
- Regrow more than 20 fruits and vegetables at home
- Perfect gift for anyone who wants to make the world a little greener
Can you make an avocado ripen faster?
The best way to be able to enjoy a perfectly ripe avocado is to allow it to ripen by itself. If the avocado is still hard when you buy it, simply let it ripen at home. This takes around 1 to 3 days at a room temperature of 16 to 20 °C. To slow the process down, store the unripe avocado somewhere cooler.
If you are urgently craving avocado on toast or guacamole, you might be wondering how to quickly ripen an avocado at home. A natural method to quickly ripen an avocado is to store it along with ripened fruits, such as apples and bananas. The ripening gases that these fruits emit will help the avocado to ripen quickly.
Can you ripen an avocado in the microwave?
Unusually, yes, it is also possible to quickly soften an avocado this way. But strictly speaking it is not a method to ripen it. Follow these simple steps on how to soften an avocado in the microwave:
- Cut your avocado in half and remove the seed and skin
- Wrap the halves in microwave-safe cling film
- Microwave on a medium-high heat for 30 seconds
- This should be long enough, but you can microwave your avocado for up to 2 minutes if necessary, depending on the strength of the microwave
Whilst this method will help to soften the flesh quickly and conveniently, it is important to note that some of the taste and texture may be compromised. It is also very easy to ruin the avocado in this way. Therefore, for the tastiest results, it is best to ripen avocados in a natural way at room temperature.
Can you freeze avocados?
Freezing is a great way of preserving avocados, as frozen avocado keeps for several months. The following method will ensure the frozen avocado retains as much of its fresh qualities as possible:
- Make sure the avocado is perfectly ripe – freezing ripe avocado will mean the fruit is preserved at its very best
- Cut the avocado in half and remove the seed and skin
- Sprinkle the flesh with a little lemon juice to stop the avocado from browning
- Place the avocado halves in a freezer bag or airtight container
- Store in the freezer for up to 4 to 6 months
- To thaw, remove the frozen avocado from the freezer and place in the fridge for approximately 18 hours, or until defrosted
Even mashed avocado can be frozen for use at a later date. It is important to consider that for sliced, cubed or mashed avocado there is a higher chance of the avocado oxidising and turning brown. Therefore, if you are planning to freeze guacamole, for example, make sure to do so as quickly as possible after you prepare it. Then simply put the mashed avocado into a resealable bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing. To freeze cubes or slices of avocado, you must first lay the individual pieces on a tray and freeze them like this. Once frozen, transfer the pieces to a sealable freezer bag. This prevents the pieces from becoming squashed and stuck together.
Can you freeze avocados whole?
Technically you can freeze avocados whole, but we do not recommend it. The high-water content in the avocado will expand inside the skin, causing the flesh to become soft and mushy when defrosted. Preparing the avocado in halves with the skin and stone removed will help to preserve the avocado’s original texture when frozen.
When stored correctly, avocados are creamy, delicious and healthy. It is no wonder they have become so popular across the world. But how sustainable are avocados? Find out more in our dedicated article.
