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Avocados have a very short window of ripeness. They transform from being rock hard to soft and mushy in a few short days. The days between this transformation is when avocados are at their best. The perfect avocado is firm yet not hard with a decent amount of give, without being mushy. Here are a… more
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These are two ripe avocados. Notice the dark green to purple skin.
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This Avocado is not ripe. It has about a week till its ripe
2. Make sure the avocados are the proper firmness
Once you have found some avocados that are the proper color, you must verify they are ripe by testing how firm they are. Put the avocado in the palm of your hand and gently squeeze it. It should be firm, but not hard, and it should not be soft. An avocado that is too firm is not yet ripe and will likely be too hard to incorporate into most recipes. In addition, an avocado that is not ripe will not have the smooth, creamy taste that avocados are known for. One the other hand, an avocado that is too soft, will most likely be too mushy to be used in most recipes. In addition, the avocado may have partially spoiled ruining the taste.
3. Look for indentations and other defects
Like bananas, avocados are very susceptible to bruising. When the avocado has its peel removed, the bruised area will be brown and discolored instead of being a bright and vibrant green. The bruised area will taste different and possibly be spoiled. Even if the bruised area is cut out, the off flavor may permeate to the rest of the fruit. To help prevent purchasing a bruised avocado, may sure there are no obvious indentations or other obvious defects. In addition, gently check for any large areas where the avocado is soft, especially up around the stem area.
4. Don’t let ripe avocados sit around
Once you have found some ripe avocados make sure you use them quickly. An avocado has a very short shelf life, so it is imperative that you use it within 24 hours. If you let it sit on the kitchen counter for 2 or 3 days, you may find that your perfectly ripe avocado is now mushy and un-usable.
5. If you need to store an avocado, refrigerate it
The period of time that an avocado is perfectly ripe is very short. If you are not going to use it in the next few hours, then store the ripe avocado in the refrigerator. This will buy you some time, and it will not spoil as fast.
6. Buy unripe avocados beforehand, and let them ripen at home
One of the best methods to get a perfectly ripened avocado is to purchase it while it is still rock hard, and let it ripen at home. If you have a dinner party and you have a recipe that requires avocados, then purchase green, hard avocados about a week beforehand. By the time the party comes, you will have ripe avocados. If they ripen too quickly, you can store them in the refrigerator and they will be still be ripe. Buying beforehand is a good practice because the avocado has not been squeezed by many people or thrown around a produce bin.
Would you like to learn how to cut and peel your ripe avocado?
Recipes that use avocados:
Simple Guacamole Recipe
