Ripe or Unripe, You Decide

Sometimes choosing the perfect avocado at the store can be tricky. Depending on their stage of ripeness, and when you plan to enjoy your avocados, it’s certainly one of the most important steps on your avocado enjoyment journey. But we are here to help with these informative tips provided by the California Avocado Commission!

This video does an excellent job at detailing all of the tips included in this blog post; however please read on for more detail!

Choosing Avocados at the Store

Did you know that Spring through Summer is California Avocado season? California Avocados are grown along the California coast and are meticulously cared for and picked at their peak after remaining on the trees for 12-14 months. During this Spring through Summer timeframe, look for California on the avocado label to ensure you’re purchasing avocados grown close to home.

When selecting your avocado, the best way to tell if it is ripe is to gently squeeze it in the palm of your hand. Ripe, ready-to-eat fruit will be firm yet will yield to gentle pressure. Remember not to press or squeeze with your fingers, this can cause your avocado to bruise.

Avoid fruit with dark blemishes on the skin or fruit that is overly soft, and on the journey home be sure to protect them from other items in your grocery bag to avoid squishing or accidentally bumping (and bruising) them.

If you plan to serve your avocados in a few days, stock up on harder, unripe fruit. Continue reading for avocado ripening tips.

Ripening Avocados at Home

To ripen avocados at home, we suggest placing them on the counter or in your fruit bowl. After a day or two, your avocados will begin to soften and will begin to yield to gentle pressure in the palm of your hand. If you are ready to eat them once they have reached this stage, go ahead and enjoy. If they have reached this stage of ripeness and you are not quite ready to eat them, store them in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process. Once in the refrigerator, a ripe avocado should hold for an extra 2-3 days!

To speed up the avocado ripening process, place your avocados in a plain, brown paper bag and store it at room temperature. Including an apple or a kiwi fruit in the bag will accelerate the ripening process as all three fruits naturally produce ethylene, a natural hormone that also promotes ripening. When the avocados yield to gentle pressure, they are ready.

Now dig in! May we suggest an avocado salad, a bowl of guacamole or a feature next time you fire up the grill?

For more avocado tips, great avocado recipes and more, check out CaliforniaAvocado.com.