How To Ripen An Avocado

As a kid I always ate avocados. Not because they were cool, they weren’t. In fact, food back in the day was never cool. I’m not even sure why my mom bought avocados. But she did, and they were always in our salads. As a kid I went through a “green thumb” phase where I actually grew an avocado tree. I stuck three wooden toothpicks into the giant brown seed and suspended it over a cup of water with the bottom half submerged. It sprouted roots. I planted it in a pot of dirt and kept it in my bedroom. It grew into quite a big and ugly green plant with a few broad shiny laurel-like leaves. I watered it, I babied it and took care of it like a pet. But it never did grow an avocado.

My chore as a kid was to make a salad most nights. They always consisted of iceberg lettuce, red tomatoes, field cucumbers, avocado and tossed with Kraft salad dressing. The only reason I ever ate those salads was because of the creamy, luscious avocado.

Learn How To Choose, Ripen and other fun facts about An Avocado

Here are some fun facts about avocados

What is an avocado?

An avocado’s is technically a fruit but it’s often considered a vegetable. The reason we love them so much is because they’re filled with fat. It’s a healthy fat, but it’s fat nonetheless. You probably knew that, but here’s something you probably didn’t know...it’s possible to be allergic to an avocado. Crazy but true. A man in one of our classes was at risk of anaphylactic shock if his lips touched an avocado. Tough!

How to ripen an avocado

When choosing an avocado, pick one that is fairly heavy and looks appetizing. Feel it. It’s ready to eat if it yields to gentle pressure. If the avocado is rock hard, it will need time to ripen on your kitchen counter. To speed up ripening, put the avocado into a paper bag with an apple. The gas from the apple speeds up the ripening process. Once ripe, use it right away or store in your refrigerator.

How to store avocados

Store unripe avocados on your kitchen counter for one or two days. When they start to ripen transfer them to the refrigerator uncut. They should last for up to three days. If you’re storing a cut avocado, I like to leave the big pit inside and then wrap in plastic wrap. This seems to help with preservation. You can also sprinkle the cut avocado with lemon or lime juice to avoid it turning black before you put in your refrigerator.

How to freeze avocados

Avocados are expensive. I sometimes buy them, and then forget to use them. Darn! When this happens they get super soft, turn dark and become inedible. Then they end up in the green bin. Unfortunately, they aren’t like black bananas that can be baked into muffins. However, if you catch them in time, you can freeze them. If you go this route, puree one or two ripe avocados (before they go black and mushy) with one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Spoon into an air tight container and freeze for 4 or 5 months. Frozen avocado can be used in fruit smoothies, sandwiches and dips.