You just got a shipment of avocado lots? Or are you in the mood to enjoy as much guacamole (avocado sauce) as possible? Either way, you can make unripe avocados ripen faster by following these easy steps.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Ripe Uncut Avocados
Step 1. Place a whole, uncut avocado in a brown paper bag
This bag will be used to trap the ethylene gas produced by the fruit which will ripen the avocado. Make sure the paper bags don't have holes!
The paper bag only serves as a gas trap. If you can use another way to trap gas with the same mechanism, great! It can also be used. Your grandmother might tell you to ripen avocados by storing them in a flour or rice storage bin, but you might just use an empty paper bag from McDonald's
Step 2. Add the banana, apple or tomato to the brown paper bag
Bananas are best used, but other fruits can also be used. If none of these fruits are available, place all the avocados together in a bag
These fruits emit more ethylene gas than other fruits. And the more ethylene gas it produces, the faster it will cook
Step 3. Store the bag closed, at room temperature
Keep away from sunlight; 18º-24º C is the best storage temperature. If you don't put any other fruit in the bag, the avocado will take 2-5 days to ripen.
Step 4. Check regularly
Any additional fruit added will significantly speed up the ripening process of the avocado, and it should ripen within 1-3 days. Your avocado is ripe and ready to eat if it is easy to peel, try to feel the texture with your hands if it is soft because sometimes it is difficult to determine the ripeness of an avocado based on the color of the skin.
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Unripe avocado will look green and nice. When it starts to ripen, there will be purplish or black spots on the skin (this is when you can use it in about 2 days). When it is completely ready to eat, the skin color of the avocado will be very dark green/brown.
Once an avocado is ripe, it can last in the refrigerator for a few days, but will lose its aroma and taste over time
Method 2 of 3: Ripening Chopped Avocado
Step 1. Sprinkle the sliced avocado with lemon or lime juice
Since your avocado is already exposed and vulnerable to the outside environment, prevent it from turning brown and too mushy by adding an acidic substance such as lemon juice. You want your avocado to ripen and not spoil, so don't let your avocado spoil as it ripens.
Step 2. Wrap with clear plastic wrapper
Glue the two halves of the avocado back together and wrap it in plastic wrap so that it looks like a whole avocado again. Then place in the refrigerator.
If you don't have plastic wrap, use an airtight, resealable container
Step 3. Monitor the ripeness of the avocado
The length of time it takes for an avocado to ripen will depend on how far your avocado has progressed. Take an avocado and squeeze it – when it's soft and looks edible, taste it. If it's not cooked enough, put it back in the bag.
Method 3 of 3: Storing and Using Avocado
Step 1. Keep unripe, uncut avocados at room temperature
Do not place the raw refrigerator in the refrigerator because avocados will not ripen at cold temperatures. If you do nothing to the avocado (other than place it on the counter) your avocado could take up to six days to ripen.
Step 2. For chopped, sliced, or mashed avocado, use lemon juice
Even if it's in guacamole (avocado dip), sprinkle a little lemon, lime, or even orange juice (as long as it's fresh!) over your avocado. This acid will slow down the browning (or oxidation) process, thus extending the shelf life of your avocado.
If you start to see the avocado brown, you don't need to throw it all away right away. Just throw away the brown part and use up the rest before it browns too
Step 3. If the bad gets worse, mash the avocado and freeze it
If it's time to eat your avocado because it's fully ripe, but you don't have the time or the timing doesn't allow it, mash the avocado and place it in the freezer. Do not freeze whole avocados as they will spoil the taste. Once you have the time, you can then use the frozen mashed avocado for dipping sauces, spreads, and so on.
Of course, avocados are best unfrozen. So this should be taken into consideration only if the avocado cannot be eaten fresh
Step 4. Monitor the ripeness of the avocado
Hopefully you've been monitoring avocados for a long time. If you have watched it for some time, then you will be able to judge how far your avocado is ripe. At different stages, avocados will give different finishes.
- If your avocado is just starting to ripen, it will be more heat resistant and you'll be able to bake it more easily.
- If your avocado takes some time to ripen but eventually does, then this avocado will make a great avocado slice for salads and salsa. Avocado slices with a firm shape and texture (not mushy) will look beautiful on your plate!
- If you have lots of ripe avocados at once, turn them all into a cream-based dish. Consider flans (a type of cake), ice cream, or cheesecake. This is a great reason to experiment!
Tips
- You can also just use a brown paper bag to ripen the avocado; although it won't ripen the avocado as quickly if other fruit were added to it. Even so, using a paper bag still speeds up the ripening process more than leaving the avocado open.
- Filling paper bags with flour is also an alternative ripening method that can be done.
Warning
- Refrigerating avocados does the opposite – it prevents them from ripening. This is good for extending shelf life but not for ripening faster.
- Do not Put the avocado in the microwave. There are sources on the internet that say avocados can be microwaved (and you can, because technically anything can be microwaved), but that would spoil the taste.
What you need
- Avocado
- paper bag
- Banana, apple, or tomato (to speed up the ripening process)
