How to Tell If an Avocado Is Ripe

People began cultivating avocados around 500 BCE, and the crop has become a staple of many cuisines in the centuries since. Although the fiber-rich fruit is known for being luscious and creamy, it may be bitter, bland, and difficult to cut when unripe. Here’s how you can tell if an avocado is ready to eat to before you attempt to slice into it.

1. When Is An Avocado Ripe?
2. How to Ripen an Avocado
3. How to Properly Store an Avocado 

When Is An Avocado Ripe?

Pay attention to these key details when checking for avocado ripeness: its skin, stem, and firmness. A Hass avocado (the most popular variety) that’s ready to eat should have a dark green color and bumpy skin. Additionally, the fruit’s stem (the pointy bit located at the top) should easily come off if it’s ripe, and the area underneath it should be bright green or yellow. The last trick is to squeeze the avocado gently. A perfectly ripe one should have a little give, but it shouldn’t be too soft. An unripe avocado will be hard and unyielding.

How to Ripen an Avocado

If you’re stuck with an unripe avocado, there are a few ways to speed up the ripening process. One is to enclose the fruit in a paper bag. As the fruit ripens, it emits ethylene gas; the bag traps this gas to soften the fruit faster. You can even add other ethylene gas-producing fruits, such as apples or bananas, to the bag to make the avocado ripen more rapidly.

Burying the avocado in flour will encourage it to release the gas more quickly. This method also absorbs moisture, meaning you’re less likely to end up with a mushy avocado.

Last but not least is the sunlight approach. Simply place the avocado in the sunniest spot in your home and let it rest there for a while until it reaches the desired ripeness.

You might be tempted to toss the grocery item in the oven or the microwave, but the California Avocado Commission, an industry group, warns the fruit won’t actually get ripe through cooking. The avocado will be softer, but it won’t have the familiar creamy consistency or flavor.

How to Properly Store an Avocado 

After purchasing whole avocados, you can store them on your counter or in your pantry if you’re in no rush to use them. Just make sure they aren’t touching each other to prevent bruising.

But what if you already sliced open an avocado and want to save half for later? In that case, brush it with lemon or lime juice to slow down oxidation, which makes green avocados an unappealing shade of brown or gray. Then, wrap the fruit in plastic film and place it in an airtight container. It should last for up to a day in your fridge’s crisper drawer.

Preserving sliced or diced avocados presents more of a challenge. Start by putting the pieces into a bowl with lemon or lime juice, and then gently press them against the bottom of the bowl to ensure limited air circulation. Take a clean paper towel, soak it with citrus juice, and then cover the top of the fruit with it. After covering the paper towel with plastic wrap, place the bowl in the fridge. It should also last for almost a day. 

Whatever you do, don’t store your avocados in water. This so-called hack went viral in 2022, as people claimed the water slows oxidation and keeps the fruit fresh for longer. You may avoid a browning, but you’ll be inviting pathogens, such as Listeria and Salmonella, onto the food.  

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