The best ways to quickly ripen avocados at home

The exotic fruit, avocado, has become a very popular ingredient in salads, seafood appetizers, and other dishes. The main problem with choosing one is that it's difficult to determine its ripeness by its appearance, and it's easy to buy an unripe specimen. How can you ripen it? avocado at homeHow long will it take for it to ripen? That's what today's story is about.

The health benefits of avocado

This fruit with its oily flesh is a treasure trove of beneficial vitamins and minerals. It's suitable for both those who are underweight and those who are overweight and want to lose weight. It contains a lot of iron, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, and other elements.

Recommended:

• for gastrointestinal problems;
• to strengthen the immune system;
• used as an aphrodisiac and to improve potency;
• Regular consumption relieves women from menstrual pain.

When unripe, it tastes like pumpkin; when fully ripe, it evokes different associations in people: some think of butter with added nuts, others of fried chicken, and still others of fried zucchini.

How to choose a ripe fruit

Let's figure out how to tell if an avocado is ripe by its appearance, so it won't ruin your delicious meal. A ripe avocado is distinguished by its skin color, the softness of the fruit, the condition of the stem, and how easily the pit separates from the flesh. These are the nuances you need to pay attention to when choosing the fruit.

Signs of ripeness

Let's take a closer look at each of these signs to avoid making mistakes when purchasing this exotic fruit. Determining ripeness isn't too difficult, but it's important to remember that ripe fruits don't last long and are easily damaged during transportation and storage, so alligator pears (another name for them) often arrive unripe.

Skin color

An unripe fruit will have a rich green skin. A ripe fruit will have a darker green skin. An overripe fruit will have a very dark, almost black, skin.

Condition of the bone and tail

When ripe, the pit separates easily from the flesh, and if you remove the stem, the indentation will be light green. Brown flesh after removing the stem indicates that the alligator pear is overripe, while yellow flesh indicates that it is underripe.

Fruit firmness

This is one of the main indicators of ripeness. If the selected specimen is hard and the skin is difficult to peel even with a knife, the fruit is not ripe enough. A hard avocado can be ripened at home, but sometimes it takes several days.

Important: do not cut the hard fruit immediately after purchase – it will ripen faster if left whole and with the pit.

To check for ripeness, press lightly on the fruit. If it gives way slightly, but the flesh quickly springs back to its original shape, it's ripe. If the dent remains after light pressure, the fruit feels too soft, meaning it's overripe.

What to do with an unripe avocado

If the purchased specimen turns out to be unripe, don't worry. You can help it acquire the desired appearance and flavor. There are several simple ways to save the product.

Warming up in the oven

Unripe avocados should be washed, dried, pierced with a fork in several places, and wrapped in foil. Place the avocados in a preheated oven at 200-210°C for 10-12 minutes. This method will quickly soften the avocado, even if it's unripe.

We ripen it using boiling water

Boiling water can quickly bring green avocados to a edible state. Peel the avocado, cut it into wedges, and blanch it in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Afterward, drain the liquid and let the flesh cool. This fruit can be used in salads or as a sandwich filling.

In the microwave

Ripening an avocado in the microwave is quick and easy. The finished fruit is perfect for a salad. Prick it several times with a fork and microwave for 30 seconds. Then, press gently on the fruit and repeat if the avocado needs further softening.

Important: High-temperature processing methods are effective, but they can alter the aroma and flavor of the product, making it much less pronounced.

After heating, the fruits should be allowed to cool, and only then cut into pieces.

In polyethylene

This method of ripening is used if the fruit has already been cut, but it cannot be used due to insufficient ripeness.

In this case, the pit is not removed; the halves are sprinkled with lemon juice (to prevent them from darkening due to the high iron content), folded together to form a whole fruit, and tightly wrapped in plastic. After this, it can ripen in 2-3 days. The fruit should be checked periodically; once it's soft, it's ready to use.

Aluminum foil

It can also help speed up the ripening of an avocado if you bought an unripe one. Simply wrap it tightly in foil, with no open areas, and place it in a preheated oven.

On the windowsill

If you have a few days to spare, you can ripen an avocado wrapped in foil or paper on a warm windowsill. To ensure softness, wrap it tightly and leave it for a few days to ripen.

Using newspaper or a paper bag

Another old trick for getting a ripe avocado is to tightly pack the avocado in a newspaper or paper bag. Under these conditions, it ripens quickly while preserving its flavor.

What to put with avocado to make it ripen faster

To speed up the ripening of avocados, place them in a paper or newspaper bag with bananas or tomatoes—an apple works well, too. Seal the bag tightly and leave for several days. Storing these items together will speed up the ripening process of the avocado, as the ethylene gas released accelerates the process.

How to ripen a cut avocado

The fruit halves are cut into wedges, placed in a container, tightly sealed with a lid, and refrigerated, checking periodically for ripeness. The method for storing cut fruit using plastic wrap is described above.

Ripening avocados at home is easy. Despite the difficulty of getting them to our shelves truly ripe, straight from the tree, the fruit's exotic flavor is gaining more and more fans.