Ever wondered how to ripen an avocado? We know there's nothing worse than purchasing an avocado and not knowing what the inside will reveal, so we've rounded up our top tips from our food team to make sure you pick the best, every time.
Too soft and it's a black and bruised sight, too firm and it's impossible to cut through and eat but we've asked our experts for their best tips and tricks for ensuring you know how to select the perfect avocado next time you're planning your next brunch or Mexican-themed night.
While there’s rumours circulating the internet about ripening your avocado in the oven, we went to Meike Beck, our Cookery Director at Good Housekeeping, to see if this method is worth trying at home.
Meike says she has avoided ever trying this method as ‘you wouldn’t get the flavour associated with a naturally ripe avocado’. Additionally, this oven method seems to take far longer than its proclaimed ‘10 minutes'.
How to ripen whole avocados?
To ripen a whole avocado, Meike suggests, ‘Putting unripe avocados in a paper bag with a ripe banana or apple.'
How to ripen an avocado quickly?
Bananas release ethylene gas, which triggers the ripening process so having a banana (and apples too as they release the same gas) in a paper bag with your unripe avocados means they will ripen much quicker - taking anywhere between 24-48 hours.
Meike adds, ‘I'm afraid there're no strict length of time – just until your avocado is ripe! If your avo has already got a little softness around the edges, then 12-24 hours should do it. Longer if rock hard.
How to ripen already-cut avocados?
If you've cut into your avocado because it felt soft, but only realised when you cut into it that it's actually unripe, not all is lost. If you still have both halves - keep the stone in and place both halves back together and wrap in clingfilm. Place in your fruit bowl and continue to ripen for a day or two.
Can you ripen an avocado in the microwave?
We would not recommend ripening an avocado in the microwave. It may soften the flesh, but the avocado will taste unripe and you won't get the same creaminess from the fruit. Most supermarkets sells varying levels of ripe avocados now so you can eat one now, and eat one in a few days.
Do avocados ripen faster in the fridge?
Ripening an avocado in the fridge is possible, but it will take longer so we'd suggest keeping it at room temperature near your fruit bowl if you can. Once your avocado's are ripe, you can store it in the fridge to slow down the ripening process and enjoy them for a few days longer.
Once your avocado is ripened and ready to go, the possibilities of delicious meals is endless. Some of our go-to recipes include this delicious gazpacho, classic avo on toast with eggs, or you can't go wrong with fresh-made guacamole, but we've rounded up all our favourites so you can try some new recipes.
Meike’s favourite? ‘My ideal avocado meal is smashed on toast underneath poached eggs with some chilli flakes, or oiled and griddled and made the star of a Summer salad.’ Now get us a paper bag!
Mel is the Senior Food & Drink Writer for Good Housekeeping UK, covering all the delicious new product launches that come her way, writing about food and drink topics, and curating gift guides for the best foodie products to buy. Alongside that, she can be found developing and creating cocktails for GH and holds her WSET Level 2 in Wine and Spirits. She was part of the Good Housekeeping Institute food testing team for over four years before moving over to the digital side, so knows a thing or two about great food products. You'll find her scouring the supermarket shelves in her spare time for new and exciting ingredients to experiment with in her kitchen.
