Depending on your avocado's ripeness, you should either store it in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Stick your avocado in the fridge to slow down the ripening process or leave it on the counter or in the pantry to allow it to ripen further.
Until they're fully ripe, avocados should be stored at room temperature. Placing an unripe avocado in the refrigerator will slow the ripening process, but the same concept applies to ripe avocados: put them in the refrigerator to keep them at their prime ripeness for longer.
You can expect ripe avocados in three to four days (or less!) —keep an eye out every day. And here's another paper bag trick: Place the avocados in a paper bag with other fruits that also produce natural gases, like apples or bananas. The gases will concentrate and help your avocados become softer, faster.
The bottom line: If you need your avocados to ripen sooner rather than later, keep them on the counter. Otherwise, for better quality, you're better off putting them in the fridge and allowing them to ripen slowly. In either case, store the ripened fruit in the fridge to extend shelf life.
For ripe avocados, place them in your refrigerator for 2-3 days to keep them fresh. If your avocado isn't quite ripe, leave it out on your countertop. Over the next 4-5 days, your avocado will ripen and be ready for you to enjoy.
If you would rather speed up your avocado's ripening process more naturally, Avocados from Mexico recommends finding a dry spot where your avocado can bask in direct sunlight to help it naturally ripen faster.
The fruits that produce ethylene, including peaches, bananas, apples as well as honeydew melons shouldn't be kept in the same place as avocados grapes, lemons onions and other fruit and vegetables tolerant to this chemical.
If the avocado yields to firm gentle pressure you know it's ripe and ready-to-eat. Ripe, ready to eat avocados may have a darker color but color can vary so it is best to go by feel as well as color. It will feel lightly soft but it will not feel “mushy” to the touch. Ripe fruit is perfect for that day.
While you can purchase some clever half-avocado storage solutions, the easiest way to preserve half of the fruit is to rub some olive oil or lime juice on the flesh, then cover the whole thing (even the skin side) tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator.
An avocado generally takes four to seven days to ripen, and the best place to let it happen is just out on the counter at room temperature. All avocados start out bright green and feel heavy and hard in the palm of your hand. At this stage in the game, the hard fruit does not taste good.
A bowl of rice can work too
There is one more quick-ripening method that avocado producers like Avocados from Mexico recommend, though it's one I haven't personally tried. Instead of putting your hard avocados into a paper bag, smother them in a bowl of uncooked rice.
Cut open the avocado and remove the pit. Immediately coat the flesh of one half with fresh lemon juice. Wrap the avocado half in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. It's as easy as one, two, three.
You can speed up the avocado-ripening process with a piece of fruit. Put an avocado in a paper bag with a banana, an apple or a kiwi and fold to seal. These fruits produce ethylene gas, a plant hormone that aids ripening. The closed brown paper bag traps the gas inside to speed up the ripening time.
Although the fat content of avocados makes them high in calories, a 2022 study published in the Journal of American Heart Association observed that people who ate one avocado per day for six months maintained a stable body weight. Therefore, avocado consumption did not contribute to weight gain.
Can you eat an avocado that is not ripe? Yes, you can eat an unripe avocado, but we don't recommend it. The avocado won't have its wonderfully creamy texture and it won't taste as delicious as normal. Check out our other how to videos to learn tips for ripening avocados.
Hard, bright green avocados are 4-7 days away from being ripe. Bright green avocados that are very hard when palmed are still underripe and will have 4 days up to 1 week on the counter before they're ready to eat.
Avocados. The refrigerator will slow avocados in the ripening process, so unless you're stacked with too many avocados for your weekly use, keep them out at room temperature. The cold temperature also hardens the texture of a ripe avocado, which might not be ideal for some when it comes to mealtime.
Since avocados can be pricey, it's important to store them correctly. “If your avocados are under-ripe, store them next to bananas. The gasses released from the bananas promote ripening,” says Tomlin. “If you need to extend the life of an avocado, store it in the refrigerator.
Firm, uncut avocados can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. They will continue to ripen while in the refrigerator, but at a slower rate.
The Window Sill Method
Place the avocados by themselves in the window sill where they'll get lots of sunlight. Depending on how far into the ripening process they already are, this can take just a day or two and will result in perfectly ripe avocados. Just remember to check them every day.
You can speed up the avocado-ripening process with a piece of fruit. Add an avocado, along with an apple, a banana or a kiwi to a brown paper bag and fold to seal. These fruits release ethylene gas, a plant hormone that aids ripening. The closed paper bag traps the gas inside so the process can work faster.
Do not microwave your avocados or put your avocados in the oven to try to ripen them faster. If you do, the microwave or oven may soften the flesh of the fruit a little which may make it 'seem' ripe, but it isn't. The avocado will taste unripe and won't have the creaminess or buttery, nutty flavor we all know and love.