How to Store Avocados (2024)

FAQs

How to Store Avocados? ›

Keep avocados away from direct sunlight and heat sources to prevent them from ripening too quickly. Ethylene-absorbing products, such as activated charcoal or specialized ethylene absorbers, can slow down the ripening process when placed in storage containers.

If your avocado is ripe, place the whole, uncut avocado in an airtight container or in the produce drawer in the refrigerator. It should be good for about two weeks, depending on how ripe it was going in.

Until they're fully ripe, avocados should be stored at room temperature. Placing an unripe avocado in the refrigerator will slow the ripening process, but the same concept applies to ripe avocados: put them in the refrigerator to keep them at their prime ripeness for longer.

The main goal is to prevent oxygen from touching the avocado's flesh. Plastic wrap is a practical, albeit not foolproof way to slow down the natural course of fruit aging. The trick is to make sure the plastic wrap is sealed flush with the flesh.

Can You Freeze Whole Avocados? If you don't fancy pre-mashing avocados and mixing them with lime juice, you can freeze whole avocados. Bear in mind that the flavor, texture and color of the avocado will change in the freezer. The avocado will turn slightly grey-brown and become mushier.

A perfectly ripe avocado is best eaten right away. If this is not possible, the best way to store ripe avocados is in the fridge for a maximum of 2 to 3 days. Any longer and the avocado may brown inside. Unripe avocados, on the other hand, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To minimize the avocado's contact with oxygen even further, place it in a vacuum-sealed bag or an airtight plastic bag. If you plan on using your frozen avocado for a smoothie or dressing, you're actually better off puréeing it first.

Ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone, can accelerate ripening and spoilage, making it important to store avocados away from ethylene-producing fruits like apples and bananas; unless you want your avocados to ripen faster.

“If you put your avocado in water, you're really just dropping it into a breeding ground for any bacteria that are present,” says Sedlacek. “This TikTok hack is a recipe for foodborne illness. It's very, very bad.”

You can safely eat an avocado or guacamole that has turned brown due to oxidation, just as you could eat an apple that has undergone the same chemical reaction. However, it certainly doesn't look as appetizing when presented on a plate, and the taste may be slightly altered (read: a tad bitter).

Can you eat avocado spread after it turns brown? ›

Although brown guacamole isn't the most appealing, it's completely safe to eat (as long as you've stored the guacamole in the refrigerator, and it isn't more than three days old). "While a bit off-putting to look at, brown guacamole is totally safe," confirms Food Network's nutritionist, Dana Angelo White, MS RD ATC.

How do you keep an avocado from going bad? If your avocado is uncut, check it often to see how it's progressing. If it's cut, protect the fruit's surface by adding lemon/lime juice or water on top of it and then cover it in plastic wrap or place it in an air-tight container in the fridge.

The method seemed simple enough: You're supposed to submerge whole avocados in cool water in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. Leave the container there until you're ready to use. Take it out, dry off the avocados, and enjoy.

Whole avocados tend to become brown and very mushy upon thawing. As such, you should cut, mash, or purée the fruit before freezing. Frozen avocado has a shelf life of 4–6 months, but commercial products may last even longer due to added preservatives (8).

The bottom line: If you need your avocados to ripen sooner rather than later, keep them on the counter. Otherwise, for better quality, you're better off putting them in the fridge and allowing them to ripen slowly. In either case, store the ripened fruit in the fridge to extend shelf life.