How to choose the right avocado

How to choose a ripe avocado

There are many varieties of this fruit in the world, and they differ in one way or another from each other. We will tell you the main signs that you need to rely on when choosing any avocado.

1. Feel the avocado

One of the most reliable signs of fruit maturity is its softness. A ripe avocado should give in to the pressure.

To avoid damaging the pulp, press on the fruit not with your tips, but with your fingertips or the palm of your hand.

The stone-hard fruit is clearly unripe. If the avocado is too soft, like mushy from the inside, it is already overripe and probably spoiled.

2. Take a closer look at the place of attachment of the stalk

Another very important aspect when choosing a good fruit.

Remove the stem and look at the footprint underneath. On ripe avocados, this spot will be yellowish or light brown. In an unripe fruit it is light green, and in an overripe fruit it is dark.

If there is mold under the handle, the avocado has deteriorated, so you definitely shouldn't take it.

3. Pay attention to the color and condition of the peel

As a rule, the rich dark green color of the skin indicates the ripeness of the fruit. This avocado is usually ready to eat.

How to choose an avocado: pay attention to the color and condition of the skin

Sometimes the skin of a ripe fruit can be purple or black. For example, a nearly black rind is found naturally in a Californian avocado, or Hass variety.

How to choose a ripe avocado: Hass avocado

If the surface of the fruit is light to moderately green, the avocado is most likely unripe. However, the skin of some varieties, such as "fuerte" or "zutano", does not darken even after full maturation.

How to choose a ripe avocado: fuerte avocado

So the color of the peel is still not the surest sign. If you are choosing among the avocados of the same variety, give preference to the one that is darker.

Regardless of the color of the skin, it should be free of cuts, rotten areas or any other damage.

How to choose the right avocado: do not take fruit with damaged skin

How to make an avocado ripen and soften

If you did buy an unripe avocado, no big deal. The fruit is quite capable of reaching the desired condition at home at room temperature.

Depending on the ripeness of the avocado, this may take a different amount of time - from a couple of days to a week. Here are some ways to speed up the process.

1. Put the avocado with other fruits

Place the fruit in a paper bag along with a banana or apple (you can do both). Close and leave at room temperature.

Bananas and apples give off ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening of avocados. And the bag keeps this gas inside.

2. Place the avocado in a warm place

Wrap the fruit in paper or regular newspaper and place it on a battery, for example.

To avoid touching the hot appliance directly, place the fruit first in a container or cover the radiator with a cloth.

3. Heat the avocado in the oven

Keep in mind that this is not the natural process of ripening the avocado, but rather cooking it. This method is suitable if you are absolutely impatient to eat the soft fruit.

It will indeed become soft very quickly, but the texture inside will be different from that of the fruit that has ripened on its own. The video clearly shows the difference between such avocados. The first ripened by itself, and the second was heated in the oven.

If you still choose the heated method, first wrap the avocado in foil. Put it in a mold and place it in an oven preheated to 90 ° C.

Time will depend on the maturity of the fetus. A very tough avocado may take an hour or more. So check the softness every 10 minutes.

4. Preheat the avocado in the microwave

The principle is the same as with the oven (only without foil!). This method is best used if there is absolutely no time to wait.

First pierce the avocado with a fork in several places. Place it inside the appliance and set the minimum power. Heat the avocado as much as necessary, checking for softness every 30 seconds.