If you’re a real-deal millennial, you’re probably just as concerned for the welfare of your avos as you are for your future children. The bottom line is that zip lock bags can’t be trusted, plastic wraps are just as useless and they turn suspiciously wrinkled and colorless if left in the fridge unwrapped.
Add into the mix the fact that they’re temperamental little so and so’s that remain rock hard for days then go to overripe in the blink of an eye, and you’ve got yourself an avo-shaped disaster waiting to happen. Here’s what you need to know about ripening your avos, storing your avos pre-use, and how to stop the little blighter’s from turning brown AF once you’ve sliced into them.
To help the ripening process:
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Paper bag
Depending on when you need your avo to be peaking in ripeness, you’ve got a range of options for ripening. If time is on your side, simply leave it out on the countertop at room temperature, or place in a paper bag if you need it stat. This traps ethylene gas, which avocados naturally produce once they’re picked in order to speed up the ripening process.
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Keep next to bananas or apples
If you’re REALLY desperate to tear into your avo, place it in said paper bag with a banana or apple. Because apples and bananas both produce the gas too, you’re essentially creating a cute little pocket of ethylene gas that will get your avo ripe ‘n’ ready in no time. Hashtag science!
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Put them in the oven
This hack also relies on ethylene, but the avos supply their own this time. Wrap your avocado in tin foil and put it in the oven at around 150 degrees. Leave it to bake for roughly an hour, during which time it will start to produce ethylene, which, trapped by the foil, will speed up ripening. Once the hour is up, your rock hard avocado should be mashable and ready for a lil sprucing up. This method isn’t quite as delish, but good for all of those times you’re in a real pinch and need some guacamole to go with your corn chips ASAP.
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The sock method
Yup, you read that correctly. You can actually buy pure-wool, purpose-built socks to ripen your avocado in. The natural lanolin and warmth of the wool work to naturally ripen avocados gently and evenly, but with quick results. It’s also washable, reusable, and therefore given a big fat thumbs up from us.
To help them keep:
Once you’ve sliced into your perfectly ripe avocado, you’ll need an effective plan of attack for storing the unused half (if there is one; eating an avocado to yourself is considered self-care in our book).
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Lemon juice or olive oil
To stop it going brown as anything, simply brush with lemon juice or olive oil and store in the fridge with the pit back in, as this will limit oxidation and create a natural barrier to prevent discoloration.
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Freeze it
Take a leaf out of health-hack queen Lee From America’s book and mash up the remaining half of your avocado to freeze in ice cube trays. This means you’ve always got something on hand to thicken up your smoothies.
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Store with onions
It sounds weird but is actually genius. Chopped up onions give off sulfur gases, which stop the avocado from oxidizing once it’s halved. But panic ye not: the smell of the onion won’t have any effect on the taste of your avocado, and if you’re making guacamole and adding onions—this hack has essentially meal-prepped your guac for you.
