Buying avocados can feel like a lottery, but follow our avocado buying tips, and you'll be sure to understand how to buy a good avocado.
WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD AVOCADO?
- · Color - Ready-to-eat avocados have dark green to nearly black skin, while avocados that will ripen in 3-4 days are a lighter shade of green.
- · Taste - A ripe Hass avocado should be rich and buttery with a creamy texture that melts in your mouth.
- · Texture - Ripe avocados will also have skin with a bumpy texture whereas unripe avocados have softer skin.
- · Firmness or ripeness - The riper the avocado, the softer it will feel when gently pressed on the skin. But remember you should never feel dents or a mushy texture inside when picking a good avocado. For avocados that you want to eat in 3-4 days, choose firmer-feeling skins.
HOW TO PICK A GOOD AVOCADO:
Deciding how to buy a great avocado is often about how to
choose the right avocado for you. Avocado cravings can be strong and strike at
any time, so choose some ready-to-eat avocados for now and some harder ones for
later. Here are some tips for buying a good avocado:
- · Trust your eyes - Take a look at the color of the avocado's skin as darker avocados are usually riper than avocados with lighter skin. Avoid avocados that have any large dents or darker patches as this can indicate that the fruit has been bruised and spoiled inside.
- · Feel them - You can check the firmness of the avocado by gently squeezing it. Don't use your fingertips as this might cause bruising and damage to the fruit. If you follow these steps and you can feel indentations or it feels mushy, the avocado might be damaged inside and can't be eaten.
- · Plan when do you want to eat it - If the avocado gently yields, then it is ready to eat that day. If the fruit is firm all around, it should be a good one to buy and ripen at home.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT BUYING AVOCADOS
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF AN AVOCADO IS RIPE?
You’ll know when an avocado is ripe because it yields when you
apply light pressure.
ARE AVOCADOS SUPPOSED TO BE SOFT OR HARD?
To eat, avocados should be soft, but there's no perfect
texture for everyone. It also depends on what you're making. The softest
avocados are often best for guacamole, but you might want a firmer (but
definitely ripe one) for chopping into salads. However, if you want an avocado
to keep for a few days and eat later, then buy a harder one and wait for it to
soften.
CAN YOU PUT AVOCADOS IN THE REFRIGERATOR?
It depends on what you want to do with the avocado. If
your avocado has been cut open, then you want to coat the
surface of the fruit with lemon or lime juice, cover it in plastic wrap and
then put it in the refrigerator. Also, if it is ready to eat, then keeping it
in the fridge will slow down the ripening process. However, if you want to let
it ripen naturally, then keep it out of the refrigerator.
HOW DO YOU RIPEN AVOCADOS QUICKLY?
There are a couple ways you can ripen avocados:
- · Leave your unripe avocado on the counter in direct sunlight and let it ripen naturally.
- · Submerge your unripe avocado in rice.
- · Place the unripe avocado in a paper bag with a banana.
- · In a microwave or oven. We don’t recommend this option as you won’t get the best avocado experience. An avocado ripened quickly with heat will lack the rich flavor of fresh avocados and won’t have the same texture.