We all love avocado, don’t we? Whether we are spreading it across toast, cooling down our chili, or slicing it on a salad, it has become a staple in kitchens across the country.
We all know how challenging it can be eating an avocado before it goes bad; it’s an art many of us are slowly honing. Another area some of us struggle with is how to store avocados.
Do we refrigerate them? Cut them before storing them? Or do we leave them whole, occasionally squeezing as we pass until they are ripe for mashing? It can be a challenge knowing the best way to store your avocados and a feeling we are all too familiar with.
But thankfully, we have all the answers for you! Today we will look at how to store avocados so that you can enjoy delicious food whenever you want!
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Which avocados?
When it comes to avocados, there are usually two types available to purchase in the supermarket. You will have ripe and ready avocados that you can eat almost immediately and avocados that will ripen at home.
There is no better option to purchase; it is merely down to personal preference. If you aren’t planning to use avocado within the next day or two, it is better to opt for a ripen-at-home avocado that is less likely to go bad.
There are slightly different ways to store the avocados to cover both options for you today!
How to store ripe avocados:
If you have purchased ready and ripe avocados, these are best consumed within a day or two. You will be able to test this by giving the avocado a little squeeze.
If the avocado can be squeezed gently, then it is ripe and ready to eat. However, if the avocado feels hard, it is best to leave it a day or two until it ripens.
You have a few options when it comes to storing these avocados. If you are using them immediately or the next day, they can be left whole on the counter at room temperature. When you are ready, simply prepare the avocado as you usually would!
A ripe avocado can also be stored in the refrigerator. Storing the avocado in a cooler place like your refrigerator will slow the ripening process down and usually add a day or two to an avocado’s life.
This means you can keep your ripe avocados in the fridge for roughly three days before they will start to go bad.
You can also cut your avocado to store it. This is the best method for those who only needed half the avocado for a recipe or intend to use the rest later that day. To store a cut avocado, it is best to work quickly to avoid any browning.
We would recommend leaving the avocado pit in as it has been suggested that this can reduce browning. Sprinkle the avocado with some lemon juice (you don’t need much, just a splash!) as this will help reduce browning too.
Wrap the cut avocado in Saran wrap, be sure to wrap it tightly to avoid any air touching the flesh and causing browning.
Once wrapped, place the cut avocado in the refrigerator. It is best to consume this the same day!
In some stores, you can purchase pre-mashed avocado or guacamole. These are best kept in the refrigerator at all times, apart from when you are using them. This will guarantee their freshness!
How to store ripe at home avocados
When it comes to ripening at home avocados, these are best stored at room temperature.
A ripening at home avocado will take longer to ripen, and the quickest way to do this is room temperature; if it is stored too cold, you run the risk of the avocado not ripening at all! I know, the millennial horror!
If you want to speed the ripening process up (it can take on average five days), you can place your avocado in a fruit bowl with some bananas! As the banana ripens, it can also ripen other fruit bowl items as it releases ethylene gas.
You can also do this with an apple if you do not have any bananas. Some people place the fruit in a paper bag to trap the gas being released, but this is not wholly necessary. Unless, of course, you are inundated with paper bags you want to use up!
While we said earlier that you should not place ripened home avocados in the refrigerator, you can do this once they are ripe to extend their shelf life by a day or two.
As you would with ripe avocados, simply place them in the refrigerator whole or cut to enjoy when you are ready!
What about freezing?
Those looking to extend the shelf life of their avocados might be wondering about freezing. Mashed, pureed, or cut avocados can indeed be frozen for up to 6 months!
The process is simple, prepare your avocado as you usually would, place it in a sealable freezer bag, and date it before popping it in the freezer.
You will need to avoid adding onions or other vegetables as they can produce water when they thaw, impacting your avocado’s quality.
The texture will change when your freeze and defrost avocado, so be sure to consider that before putting it in the freezer. It’s a good idea to only use frozen avocado in smoothies or sauce-based dishes rather than eating it on its own; it can be a little grainy or watery at times.
You will also need to watch out for freezer burn too! For those wanting to store their avocado after a food shop simply, it’s not the method we would recommend, especially if you plan to eat it soon.
Final word
As you can see, there are a few ways you can store avocados! You must pay attention to the type of avocado you are buying to store it properly.
Whether your avocado is chilling in your refrigerator or making friends with the local bananas, we bet your next avocado on toast will be Instagram-worthy!