Avocados are rich and healthy and go well with so many dishes. Whether you’re craving avocado toast or a guacamole dip, they make everything better with their creamy texture. However, rock-hard avocados are never fun and can take ages to ripen. Here, we’ll share a few hacks to solve this problem.
How to Recognize a Ripe Avocado
Do you remember seeing people in the supermarket poking avocados at the stem end with their fingers? That method is wrong, and can even bruise the avocado. Experts recommend placing the avocado in your palm and squeezing it gently. If it yields to gentle pressure, it’s ready to use. Dominica Rice Cisneros, chef, and owner of Bombera in Oakland, California, says that when she buys avocados, she’s looking for an equal distribution of firmness around the avocado. She explains, “If the bottom is soft, it’s damaged or bruised.”
How to Ripen Avocados
While you still have to wait for a few days, here are a few options to fasten the ripping process:
On the Countertop
A hard avocado will ripen in four to seven days if you leave it on the countertop at room temperature. Since the fruit is sensitive to temperature, the countertops will provide cooling. Put the avocados on a cutting board or a non-stone surface to ensure they’re warm.
Wrapped in Newspaper
Wrapping avocados in newspaper traps the ethylene gas that makes fruits like avocados ripen. This will speed up the process, and you will have a ripe avocado in three to six days.
In a Paper Bag
Paper bags keep avocados warm and trap the ethylene gas. However, don’t go for plastic ones because the fruit will sweat, and the plastic will keep the moisture locked in. This method brings faster results than a newspaper.
In a Paper Bag With an Apple, Banana, or Kiwi
If you tuck an apple, banana, or kiwi in the paper bag along with an avocado, they will give off high levels of ethylene gas. This will make the avocado ripen faster. This method can ripen avocados in a couple of days, especially during hot summer days.
What Not to Do
Something that definitely won’t work is baking or microwaving the avocado; it will only soften it. You’ll have a squishy fruit, and the flavor won’t be that good. Also, don’t put avocados in a paper bag with rice or flour. You will only waste the products as they will just absorb the moisture.