A perfectly ripe avocado has transformative powers—the rich, creamy, slightly nutty-tasting fruit (yes, it's a fruit) can turn a ho-hum salad, sandwich, or entree into something truly special. And of course, it's the star of dishes like guacamole and avocado toast.
The tricky thing about avocados is that the window for a perfectly ripe avocado is so short—it's just a quick stopover between rock-hard and brown, mealy mush.
As an avocado lover who's let too many avocados go bad on my watch, I wanted to know the best way to extend that perfectly ripe window. Should I leave my avocados on the counter, stick them in the fridge, or just start gobbling them up as fast as I can?
For guidance, I turned to representatives from the California Avocado Commission and Avocados From Mexico. The short answer from the pros is that putting your avocados in the fridge can extend their life. Read on for all the details on how to store those beauties so they stay fresh and fabulous as long as possible.
If you have avocados that are soft and just ripe but you aren't ready to eat them, transfer them to the fridge unless you'll eat them in a day or two.
"Placing avocados in your fridge helps to slow the ripening process and allows you to enjoy them later," says California Avocado Commission VP of Marketing, Terry Splane.
Dianne Le, Director of Shopper Marketing at Avocados From Mexico, echoes Splane's advice and says you can tell an avocado is ripe if it yields to gentle pressure and has a darker color, though she notes that color only is not always the best indicator of ripeness, so be sure to give that avocado a gentle squeeze.
"Depending on how you will be preparing your avocados will help determine when you might want to place them in the fridge," Splane adds. "If you want to use avocados for slicing and dicing, it's best to refrigerate them when they are firm-ripe (just under-ripe), so they are easier to work with. If you will be mashing or puréeing your avocados, you can allow them to ripen on your counter for a couple of days before placing them in the fridge for up to one week."
How Long Ripe Avocados Last in the Fridge vs. on the Counter
A ripe avocado should last in the fridge for up to seven days vs. just one to three days on the counter, according to both Le and Splane. So if you think you'll use your avocados within a day or two, there's no need to stick them in the fridge—but also no harm in doing so.
Does Refrigerating Avocados Affect Their Flavor or Texture?
Tomato lovers know to never put their tomatoes in the fridge because it can give them an unpleasant mealy texture. Luckily the same isn't true for avocados. Both Le and Splane confirmed what your taste buds have probably already told you: Refrigerating avocados has no negative impact on their flavor, texture, or appearance. Hooray!
The Takeaway
If you are planning to use your ripe avocados within a day or two, feel free to leave them on the counter. If not, you can extend their life by transferring them to the refrigerator, where they should last for about a week. Once a week is up, it's time to consult your favorite avocado recipes and use those babies up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
For ripe avocados, place them in your refrigerator for 2-3 days to keep them fresh. If your avocado isn't quite ripe, leave it out on your countertop. Over the next 4-5 days, your avocado will ripen and be ready for you to enjoy.
For ripe avocados, place them in your refrigerator for 2-3 days to keep them fresh. If your avocado isn't quite ripe, leave it out on your countertop. Over the next 4-5 days, your avocado will ripen and be ready for you to enjoy.
Generally, unripe avocados can last up to one week if stored at room temperature until they fully ripen. Once ripe, avocados can be kept in the refrigerator for an additional 2 to 3 days before they start to deteriorate.
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.
A ripe avocado should last in the fridge for up to seven days vs. just one to three days on the counter, according to both Le and Splane. So if you think you'll use your avocados within a day or two, there's no need to stick them in the fridge—but also no harm in doing so.
If you leave it at room temperature, it will start softening and the flesh browning within a day or two. So you should either eat it or refrigerate it once it's ripe. For cut, diced, sliced, and mashed avocados, place the fruits in an airtight container.
The ideal place to store bananas is on the countertop, where they can ripen naturally. You can refrigerate bananas once they've achieved your ideal level of ripeness; however, refrigerating bananas too soon or for too long can have detrimental effects on your bunch.
Avocados are rotten if they're mushy when squeezed, brown or moldy inside, and have developed rancidity or a sour smell. You may be able to salvage part of the fruit if it's just starting to brown inside and the rest of the fruit looks, smells, and tastes fine.
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).
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.
You don't even need to wrap or bag with this technique. However, it's important to note that while you can freeze an avocado whole, you're not going to get the same texture, color or taste when it thaws. Thawed avocados will be mushier, lose their pale green color and the taste will fade.
Avocados. The refrigerator will slow avocados in the ripening process, so unless you're stacked with too many avocados for your weekly use, keep them out at room temperature. The cold temperature also hardens the texture of a ripe avocado, which might not be ideal for some when it comes to mealtime.
Countertop, Fridge or Freezer? 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.
Yes!Experts agree, the refrigerator is THE best place to store apples, providing the ideal conditions for apples because they need very cold and humid storage. In fact, apples stored in the refrigerator will stay fresh for up to 10 times longer than fruit stored at room temperature.
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).
Fresh and ready avocado halves are a sight to behold. But they won't stay that way for long. To keep them from turning brown, seal the flesh with a sprinkle of lemon juice, lime juice, or olive oil, then tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Introduction: My name is Greg Kuvalis, I am a witty, spotless, beautiful, charming, delightful, thankful, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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