How to Ripen an Avocado

Place the unripe avocado in a brown paper bag. This bag helps trap the ethylene gas that ripens the avocado. Make sure the paper bag you use is not torn!

• The bag's purpose is to keep the air inside. If you have another method that works similarly, feel free to use it! Perhaps your grandmother suggested keeping avocados in a flour bin, but you might still want to grab an empty McDonald's bag.

Add a banana, apple, or tomato to the paper bag. A banana works best, but other fruits will also help. If you don’t have these fruits, but you do have one or two more avocados, place them together in the same bag.

• These fruits emit more ethylene gas than others. The more ethylene gas released, the faster the avocado will ripen.

Keep the bag sealed at room temperature. Avoid direct sunlight; the ideal temperature is between 65º-75º F (18º-24º C). If you don't add more fruit to the bag, it will take about 2-5 days for the avocado to ripen.

Check regularly. The added fruits will speed up the ripening process significantly, and the avocado should ripen within 1 - 3 days. When your avocado is ripe, it will be very easy to peel; gently squeeze and feel the avocado to determine if it’s soft, as it’s sometimes hard to tell by the color alone.

• An unripe avocado is smooth and green. When it ripens, you'll notice some purple and black spots (that's when you can eat it after about 2 days). Fully ripe avocados are usually dark green/brown and often dark purple or black.

• Once ripe, you can store the avocado in the fridge for a few days, but the longer it sits, the more flavor it will lose.

Sprinkle lemon juice on the cut avocado. Since the exposed flesh of the avocado is prone to damage, use an acidic substance like lemon juice to prevent browning and mushiness. If you want to ripen the avocado, make sure not to ruin it.

Wrap with plastic wrap. Place the two halves of the avocado together and wrap them as if they were a whole avocado. Store the wrapped avocado in the refrigerator.

• If you don’t have plastic wrap, use an airtight container with a lid instead.

Monitor the ripening process. The time it takes for the avocado to ripen depends on what stage it’s at in the process. Take the avocado out and gently press it; if it’s soft and seems ready to eat, give it a try. If it’s not ripe enough, put it back in the fridge.

Keep uncut, unripe avocados at room temperature. Avoid refrigerating unripe avocados. They won’t ripen at low temperatures. If you leave them untouched (other than placing them on the kitchen counter), they should ripen within about six days.

For cut, sliced, or mashed avocados, use lemon juice. As soon as the avocado is mashed, drizzle a bit of lemon juice or fresh orange juice on it. The acid will slow down the browning process (also known as oxidation) and extend the avocado’s lifespan.

• If you notice brown spots, don’t throw the avocado away. Just scrape off those parts and eat the remaining avocado before it turns further brown.

If the condition worsens, mash and freeze the avocado. If the avocado is ripe enough to eat but you’re not ready to consume it yet, mash it and freeze it. Do not freeze the whole avocado, as it will lose flavor. You can still use the mashed avocado for dips, spreads, and more.

• It’s clear that freezing avocados is not ideal. This is only a solution if you can't eat the fresh avocado in time.

Monitor the ripening process. Hopefully, you've spent a few days observing the avocados. By monitoring them, you’ll know at what stage each avocado is in the ripening process. Each stage will yield different results.

• If the avocado has just started to ripen, it will be less affected by heat. You can easily grill it.
• If the avocado has taken a little longer but is ripe, slice it for salads or mixed dishes. The firm, smooth slices will make the dishes look visually appealing!
• If you have several ripe avocados, turn them into a creamy form. Think of custard, ice cream, or cheesecake. That’s a reason to try the experience!

• You can still use just a paper bag, though the avocado won’t ripen as quickly as with added fruit, but it will still ripen faster than if it’s not wrapped at all.
• Adding flour to the bag is another method to speed up the ripening of avocados.

• Cooling the avocado will backfire – it prevents the avocado from ripening. This method is good for storing the avocado longer, but it doesn’t help ripen it faster.
• Do not use a microwave to ripen an avocado. You may come across information online suggesting this method (and yes, technically you can use the microwave for anything), but it will ruin the flavor of the avocado.

• Avocado
• Paper bag
• Bananas, apples, or tomatoes (to speed up the ripening process)