How to Tell if an Avocado is Ripe

If you're about to buy or have already purchased an avocado and aren't sure if it's ripe yet, don’t worry! There are some simple tips and tricks that will help you know if it’s ready to enjoy in delicious dishes like avocado toast, guacamole, and other snacks using this versatile fruit.

Consider the harvesting time of the avocado. Different avocado varieties are harvested at different times throughout the season. If you’re buying an avocado in September, and you have a choice between one harvested early or late in the season, the one from early fall is more likely to be ripe.

• Bacon avocados are typically sold from late fall to spring and are considered mid-winter avocados.
• Fuerte avocados are harvested in fall and into spring.
• Gwen avocados are usually harvested in fall and winter.
• Hass and Lamb Hass avocados are available year-round.
• Pinkerton avocados are available from early winter to spring.
• Reed avocados are available during summer and early fall.
• Zutano avocados start ripening from early September into early winter.

Consider the size and shape of the avocado. An avocado must be mature before it ripens. Depending on the variety, a mature avocado generally has a specific size and shape.

• Bacon avocados are medium-sized, weighing between 170 – 340 g, with an oval shape.
• Fuerte avocados range from medium to large when mature, weighing between 140 g and 400 g. They are longer and more pear-shaped than the Bacon variety.
• Gwen avocados range from medium to large, weighing between 170 g and 430 g. They are round and plump in shape.
• Hass avocados are small to medium-sized, weighing around 140–340 g.
• Lamb Hass avocados are large, weighing 330–530 g. They have a symmetrical pear shape.
• Pinkerton avocados are elongated and pear-shaped, weighing between 230 – 510 g.
• Reed avocados range from medium to large, weighing between 230 – 510 g. They have the roundest shape of all the varieties.
• Zutano avocados are medium to large, typically weighing between 170 – 400 g, with a long, pear-like shape.

Look at the color. Most avocado varieties have dark skin when ripe, but the color varies slightly across different types.

• Bacon and Fuerte avocados have smooth, thin, green skin.
• Gwen avocados have dark green skin, which becomes soft and bumpy when ripe.
• Hass and Lamb Hass avocados are the easiest to distinguish in color. Hass avocados turn from dark green to purple when ripe. However, black skin means the avocado is overripe, while bright green suggests it's not ripe yet.
• Like Hass, Pinkerton avocados turn a deep color when ripe, typically dark green.
• Reed avocados stay bright green even when ripe, with thick, slightly bumpy skin.
• Zutano avocados have thin, greenish-yellow skin when ripe.

Avoid avocados with dark spots. Dark spots may indicate bruising or overripeness.

• Generally, look for avocados with consistent color and texture. Any avocado that appears uneven is likely either spoiled or damaged, both of which result in poor quality.

Hold the avocado gently in the palm of your hand. Avoid pressing the fruit with your fingertips. Instead, cradle the avocado in your palm.

• If you press with your fingers or thumb, you risk bruising the avocado. An unripe avocado won’t bruise easily, but a ripe one will. Holding the avocado in your palm helps distribute the pressure evenly and reduces the risk of damaging it.

Gently squeeze the avocado. Use your palm and the pads of your fingers to apply light, even pressure to the avocado.

• If the avocado is ripe, you’ll feel a slight softness even with a gentle press. The skin will yield a bit, but it won’t indent.
• If the avocado feels mushy when you press it, it’s overripe.
• If the avocado remains firm when you press, it isn’t ripe yet.

Press at multiple points on the avocado. Rotate the avocado and press again with your palm and finger pads, applying gentle pressure.

• The first spot you press might get bruised, which can give the impression that the avocado is ripe or overripe. To check, press at different points and compare their firmness. A ripe avocado without bruising will have consistent softness.

Shake the avocado gently. Hold the avocado close to your ear and give it a light shake to see if you hear a rattling sound from inside.

• This method lets you check the ripeness without cutting the avocado, especially if it feels soft and you're concerned it might be overripe.
• If the avocado is overripe, the seed will come loose from the flesh, causing it to rattle when shaken. Hearing this sound likely means the avocado is too ripe.

Remove the avocado’s stem. Hold the stem between your thumb and forefinger, and pull it off quickly.

• If the avocado isn’t ripe, you won’t be able to pull the stem off without cutting it. Don’t use a knife or any tool to detach the stem. If you can’t remove the stem, the avocado is not ripe yet and should not be eaten.

Check the color beneath the avocado's stem. If the stem has fallen off, inspect the distinctive green color of the flesh beneath the stem.

• If the flesh appears light yellow or brown, it means the avocado is not ripe inside.
• If the area under the stem is dark brown, the avocado is likely overripe.

Apply lemon juice to the exposed halves of the avocado. Use a pastry brush to apply about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice to the cut sides of the avocado.

• When you cut the avocado, you break the cells of the flesh, triggering oxidation. To slow this process, it’s best to apply an acidic substance like lemon juice to the exposed flesh.

Press the two halves of the avocado back together. Place the two halves back together as best as you can, ensuring a good fit.

• Another way to slow down oxidation is to minimize the exposure of the flesh. Pressing the two halves back together can help seal in the flesh as much as possible.

Wrap the avocado tightly in plastic wrap. Wrap several layers of plastic wrap around the avocado to ensure it is fully covered. If you don’t have plastic wrap, you can use a sealed container, a ziplock bag, or a vacuum-sealed bag.

• The plastic wrap will reduce the exposure of the flesh to oxygen, slowing down the oxidation process.

Bake an under-ripe avocado that’s already been cut. Slice the avocado into thin pieces, arrange them on a baking tray, and bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes. Let the slices cool, then serve with tomato sauce or salad dressing for a healthy, nutritious snack.

• You can also dip the slices in breadcrumbs before baking to give them a crispy texture when eaten.

Store the avocado in the fridge until it ripens. Since the avocado has already been cut, you’ll need to keep it in the fridge to prevent it from spoiling as it continues to ripen.

• The avocado will ripen over the next few days. However, if it starts to soften and turn brown, it’s likely time to discard it.