Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated Jun 17, 2019
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A recipe that calls for a perfectly ripe and silky avocado requires planning ahead. But do I? No. More often I decide I need that precious avocado when I’m at the store buying groceries for that night’s dinner, and at that point, the chances of finding a ripe one are totally hit or miss (more often a miss).
Well, I recently read a tip that suggested a quick-and-easy method for ripening hard avocados at home. It sounded like it had the potential to be a total game changer, so I definitely had to try it for myself.
Use this tip for pretty guacamole, every time. Watch the video —->
The Original Tip
The original tip recommends completely wrapping an avocado with tinfoil, then placing it in a baking dish, and transferring it to a 200°F oven for 10 minutes, or until it softens.
Avocados release ethylene gas, which ultimately promotes ripening. Because of the foil wrapping, the fruit is essentially surrounded by its own ethylene gas. Over time, the gas becomes more concentrated, which should speed up the ripening process.
Read the original tip → How to Ripen an Avocado in 10 Minutes or Less at WonderHowTo
The Testing Method
I followed the original tip by preheating my oven to 200°F. Then I wrapped a hard, unripe avocado in foil, placed it in a baking dish, and transferred it to the oven. I checked on the avocado’s progress every five minutes. I eventually removed the avocado from the oven, and once it was completely cooled, I removed the foil and cut the avocado in half to see the results.
The Results
Starting at the five-minute mark, I began checking the avocado’s progress. Here are the results:
- 5 minutes: No change.
- 10 minutes: No change.
- 15 minutes: It could maybe be starting to soften. But maybe not.
- 20 minutes: No, definitely not getting any softer.
- 25 minutes: I feel like it’s thinking about getting softer.
- 30 minutes: I think it’s getting softer. Maybe?
- 40 minutes: It could be starting to soften, but only a little bit.
- 50 minutes: Finally! Although minimal, there’s some actual progress.
- 60 minutes: Yes! The avocado is actually softer. It feels ripe.
I removed the foil once the avocado was completely cool (about another 30 minutes later), and it felt even softer than when I took it out of the oven. Based on feel alone, this is what I’d go for when buying a ripe avocado at the store.
Sure, it’s soft, but the big question is taste. It didn’t quite have that smooth, creamy texture you expect from a ripe avocado, nor did it have the same taste. It certainly didn’t taste bad, but it did taste a little different.
Verdict: This is not a mind-blowing tip!
Final Notes
This process might take 10 minutes if you’re working with an almost-ripe avocado, but don’t expect to ripen a rock-hard fruit that quickly.
There’s a certain taste I’ve come to expect with ripe avocado — it’s smooth, creamy, buttery, and just a little rich. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that from using this method. The flavor, while not bad, was reminiscent of unripe avocado, and overall not satisfying to me.
If I was in a bind, and really needed to ripen an avocado quickly, I might use this process again, but I’m more inclined to be better at planning ahead and giving my avocados time to ripen all on their own.
Have you ever tried this method to ripen an avocado?
