If you've ever eaten an unripe avocado, you already know how bad it is. Fortunately, there are a couple of remedies you can use to determine if the fruit is ready to be eaten, whether it is while choosing it from the greengrocer or after taking it home. At that point you can enjoy it in a sandwich, prepare a guacamole sauce or as a snack.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Check the Appearance
Step 1. Consider when the avocado was harvested
Each variety is harvested at different times of the year. If you are buying an avocado in September and can choose from several varieties, one harvested in early fall and another in late fall, the ripe avocado is likely to be the one harvested in early fall.
- Bacon avocados are usually found in late fall through spring and are considered a winter variety;
- Fuerte avocados are also harvested from late autumn until spring;
- Gwen avocados are usually harvested during the fall and winter;
- The Hass and Lamb Hass are harvested all year round;
- The Pinkertons are found from the beginning of winter until spring;
- Reeds are found during summer through fall;
- The Zutanos ripen between the beginning of September until winter.
Step 2. Note size and shape
In each variety, a ripe avocado comes in a certain standard size and shape.
- Bacon avocados are medium in size, ranging from 170 to 340 g. They are oval.
- Fuerte avocados are medium to large when ripe and range from 140 to 400g. They are more oblong in shape than Bacons, but are still oval.
- Gwens are medium to large and range from 170 to 400g. They are plump and sturdy oval.
- Hass avocados range in size from medium to large, ranging from 140 to 350g. These are also oval.
- Lamb Hass avocados are large and range from 330 to 530g. They are pear-shaped and symmetrical.
- Pinkerton avocados are long and pear-shaped. They weigh from 200 to 500 g.
- Reeds are medium to small and range from 230 to 510g. This is the roundest shaped variety around.
- Zutano avocados are medium to large, usually weighing between 170 and 400g. They are thinner and have a pear shape.
Step 3. Examine the color
The outer skin color is dark in most varieties, but each has a subtle difference.
- Bacon and Fuertes avocados have smooth, thin, green skin.
- Gwen avocados have dull, soft, humped, green skin when ripe.
- Avocados Hass and Lamb Hass have the most distinctive color. A ripe Hass avocado has a deep green to purplish color. A black avocado is probably too ripe, just as a bright green avocado is too unripe.
- Like Hass avocados, Pinkertons have a deep color when they ripen. A mature Pinkerton is usually a deep green.
- Reed avocados retain their bright color even when ripe. The skin is usually thick with light streaks.
- Zutano avocados have thin, yellow-green skin when ripe.
Step 4. Avoid dark spots
Dark spots can be a sign of bruising or over-ripening.
In general, you should check color and texture. Any avocado that is uneven may have gone bad or been damaged. In any case, the fruit is no longer of quality
Part 2 of 4: Check for Consistency
Step 1. Hold the avocado in the palm of your hand
Don't catch it with your fingertips, but hold the fruit like you would a baseball before throwing.
If you press on the fruit with your fingertips or thumb, you can cause spots. An unripe avocado is too hard to stain, but a ripe one isn't. By holding it in the palm of your hand, you extend the pressure, minimizing it and reducing the chance of staining
Step 2. Press the fruit gently
Use the palm and base of your fingers to apply pressure, gently and evenly.
- If the fruit is ripe, it should react to minimal pressure. The skin should react, but it shouldn't remain bruised.
- If the avocado is mushy, it is overripe.
- If the avocado is firm, it is still too unripe.
Step 3. Press in different places
Turn the fruit and press again, still using the palm and base of the fingers to give a gentle, even pressure.
The spot you press first may be dented, giving the impression that the avocado is either overripe or underripe. To check that this is not the case, press it in different places and compare the firmness. A ripe avocado without bruises is evenly soft
Part 3 of 4: Check Under the Petiole
Step 1. Gently shake the avocado
Bring it close to your ear and shake it gently a few times to feel if anything is moving inside it.
- If the pulp is soft, but you fear it may be too ripe, shaking the avocado is a good way to find out without having to cut it.
- The inner bowl detaches from the pulp when the fruit is overripe. As a result, the fruit makes a noise when you shake it. If you hear a noise when you shake the avocado, it means that the fruit is already overripe.
Step 2. Pull the stem
Grab the petiole between forefinger and thumb and pull. If the avocado is ripe, the stem will come off smoothly
If the avocado is still unripe, you will not be able to remove the stem with your fingers. Do not use the knife or other tools to cut it. If you can't remove it with your fingers, the avocado is not ripe and not ready to eat
Step 3. Check the color under the stem
If the petiole comes off you need to check the color of the green pulp underneath. If the avocado is light yellow or brown, it means that the pulp is not fully ripe yet.
If the pulp under the stalk is dark brown, the avocado may already be overripe
Part 4 of 4: What To Do With A Sliced, Unripe Avocado
Step 1. Rub both sides of the fruit with lemon juice
Use a pastry brush to spread roughly 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice over the exposed flesh of the chopped avocado.
When you cut the avocado, you block the cellular process of the fruit pulp, starting the oxidation process. The best way to stop it is to apply an acidic agent to the pulp
Step 2. Put the two halves back together as accurately as possible
Another way to slow down oxidation is to minimize exposed pulp. By putting the two halves back together, cover the pulp of both sides as much as possible
Step 3. Wrap the avocado tightly in a few layers of cling film to create an airtight seal
You can also use an airtight container, airtight bags or vacuum bags.
The hermetic seal limits the amount of oxygen to which the pulp is exposed and, consequently, slows down the oxidation process
Step 4. Make some avocado "chips"
Cut it into thin slices about half a centimeter thick. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake them for 15-20 minutes in the oven at 200 ° C. Let them cool and dip them in a sauce, such as ketchup, to enjoy as a delicious snack.
You could coat the slices with breadcrumbs before cooking them to make them more crunchy
Step 5. Keep it cool until it ripens
Once cut, it must be stored properly in the refrigerator to prevent the fruit from rotting as it finishes ripening. It should take a few days for it to soften to the perfect consistency.
If it turns brown, it may need to be thrown away
Advice
- Avocados ripen after being harvested. If you are picking an avocado from a tree, choose a large one with a uniform, dark color and solid texture. After harvesting, you will have to wait 2 to 7 days for it to mature and be ready to eat.
- To ripen an unripe avocado, leave it on the kitchen counter at room temperature for a few days. Refrigeration stops the ripening process - you shouldn't put the avocado in the fridge unless it's been sliced.
- To speed up the ripening process, place the avocado in a paper bag with an apple or banana. These fruits release ethylene gas, a hormone linked to ripening, and the avocado will be ready more quickly.
- If you think you won't be eating avocado anytime soon, then it's in your best interest to buy an unripe one. A ripe avocado in the fridge only lasts a few days.
