Even before they cornered the market on fancy toast, avocados were one of our favorite ingredients. The rich, smooth fruit (yep, it’s a fruit not a veggie) is a natural for dips, with guacamole at the very top of that list, of course, but we’d also like to make the case for grapefruit and avocado salad, avocado hollandaise, and chilled avocado soup. Not to mention Claudette Zepeda’s Shrimp Aguachile with Coconut and Avocado. Talk about range!
And although it’s unlikely that we’ll all agree on the best use for avocados, we can agree that picking up a rock-hard avocado when it’s time to make a bowl of guac is a bummer. So what’s the best way to make sure you have a ripe avocado when you need one? We went to the experts to find out.
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How to tell if an avocado is ripe
Before we get to ripening, let’s talk about how to tell if an avocado is ripe in the first place. At the store or farmers market, you’ll probably see people picking up avocados and poking them at the stem end with their fingers. That method doesn’t give you much information and can also bruise the avocado.
“All that does is leave a crummy piece of fruit for the next person, or for yourself if you buy it,” says Rick Shade, whose family has been growing avocados in California for four generations. Instead, Shade recommends putting the avocado in your palm and giving it a gentle squeeze with your whole hand. If it yields to gentle pressure, you’re good to go.
Dominica Rice Cisneros, chef and owner of Bombera in Oakland, California, buys cases of avocados for her restaurant. When she’s testing the fruit, she’s looking for an equal distribution of firmness around the avocado. “If the bottom is soft, it’s been damaged or bruised,” she says.
How to ripen avocados
The good news here is that you have some options. The not-so-great news? You’re gonna need to wait at least a couple of days.
On the countertop
A hard avocado will ripen on the countertop at room temperature in four to seven days. If you’ve got time, this might be the best way to go. And the fruit is sensitive to temperature. How sensitive? Shade has found that the stone countertops in his kitchen affect the ripening process. “The countertops provide a lot of cooling,” he says. “We put the avocados on a cutting board or a non-stone surface to make sure they’re warm.”
Wrapped in newspaper
At home, Cisneros wraps her avocados in newspaper and stores them on the kitchen counter. This method helps trap the ethylene gas that triggers ripening in fruits like avocados. This will speed things up by a day or two; you should have a ripe avocado in three to six days.
In a paper bag
Stashing the fruit in a paper bag keeps them warm and helps trap the ethylene gas. And yes, go for paper, not plastic. “The plastic will sweat and the fruit will sweat and the plastic will keep the moisture in,” says Shade. “Sometimes you get a nasty, sloppy mess inside the plastic bag.” This method will work a bit faster than the newspaper.
In a paper bag with an apple, banana, or kiwi
To speed things up even further, tuck an apple, banana, or kiwi in the paper bag with the avocados. Those fruits give off high levels of ethylene gas, which will further encourage ripening. During peak summer avocado season, this method can ripen avocados in a couple of days.
Avocado ripening tricks that don't work
The internet loves a hack, but according to our experts, you’re better off skipping these too-good-to-be-true tricks.
Baking or microwaving the avocado
These methods will soften the avocado, but they won’t ripen it, which means you’ll have a squishy fruit with not great flavor.
Ripening in a paper bag with rice or flour
Both of these additions are supposed to help absorb moisture, but they’re not needed. “Don’t waste your flour or rice,” says Cisneros.
