How to ripen an avocado at home, what to do if it is unripe and hard, how to make it soft, how to store it so that it ripens

Avocado is a tasty and healthy fruit. It appeared on the shelves of Russian stores relatively recently, but has already gained popularity among adherents of proper nutrition. It contains many vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. In terms of nutritional properties, it is not inferior to nuts and red fish. Its taste is ideal for salads, appetizers, sauces and main courses.

Ripe avocado has oily flesh with a delicate nutty taste and rich aroma. The unripe product is hard, crunchy and similar to raw pumpkin. A fully ripened avocado quickly deteriorates and is easily wrinkled during transportation, so it ends up green on the shelves. The fruit does not always have time to reach the desired consistency in the store. What to do if the avocado is hard, and how to ripen it at home, read the article.

Signs of a ripe avocado

Unripe avocados are not harmful to human health. It is no less healthy than ripe fruit, but less pleasant to the taste.

Ripeness is determined by:

Blossom. In a ripe avocado, it is bright green, closer to emerald. If the fruit has a brownish tint, it means it is overripe; if it is light green, it is not ripe. It is worth considering that there are varieties that are characterized by a dark green, almost black tint.
The peduncle. The hole under the stalk of a ripe fruit is light green, that of an unripe fruit is yellow, and that of an overripe fruit is brownish.
The bone. It should separate easily from the pulp. If this is not the case, it means the fruit is not ripe.
Softness. The ripe fruit is soft to the touch. If you press on it, the dents left by your fingers will quickly straighten out. Green avocado will not squash when pressed. Overripe is too soft and easily deformed.
Aroma. If you smell the ripe fruit, you can feel a light characteristic aroma. An unripe avocado has no distinct odor.

Is it possible to eat an unripe avocado?

When buying an unripe fruit, there is a risk of not getting the taste or consistency necessary for the dish. If an avocado is hard, what should you do to peel it? You'll have to peel the skin like a potato, and you'll have to sweat a lot to remove the seed. “Green” avocado is not harmful to health and retains its unique properties, but it cannot be ground into a paste for dressing a salad or making sauce; it has a pronounced herbaceous taste.

Signs of an unripe vegetable:

Firm when pressed;
The area under the stalk is bright green;
When shaking, you can’t hear the bone moving inside.

Why is avocado bitter and hard? Most likely it is immature and you were not able to verify this fact before purchasing.

Unripe avocados are not uncommon on the shelves, due to the need for transportation over long distances from their growing countries. Therefore, the question arises of how to bring store-bought avocados to ripeness at home.

Is it possible to ripen avocados at home?

If you bought an unripe avocado, don't worry. The fruit will ripen quickly at home. Even if you just put it in the refrigerator, it will become soft and fragrant within a few days. However, there are ways that allow you to achieve the desired result much earlier.

Note! The most beneficial substances are retained in avocados that have ripened without exposure to elevated temperatures.

other methods

Avocados can be brought to the desired ripeness even in the refrigerator. To do this, you need to cut it into slices and remove the pit. The chopped fruit is wrapped in layers of cling film and placed in the refrigerator. There it will become soft in 1.5 - 2 days.

If the avocado is not cut and there is a pit left in it, this method is not suitable. And in general, avocados do not really like being stored in the refrigerator.

Methods for ripening avocados

There are many ways to quickly achieve full ripening of avocados. Some of them require more than a day, while others allow you to get ripe and soft fruit in a few minutes.

In the microwave

It only takes 1-2 minutes to ripen the fruit in the microwave. During this time, it will become soft and acquire a creamy consistency, but the amount of nutrients in the composition will decrease.

How to speed up the ripening of avocados using the microwave:

The fruit is washed and several holes are made in it using a fork.
Then placed in a plastic tray. The lid is not covered.
The container with the product is placed in a microwave oven, which is turned on for 1 minute.
After turning off the device, the avocado is taken out and checked. If it has not reached the desired consistency, place it in the microwave for another 30 seconds. If necessary, time is added.

In the microwave, the fruit can ripen in a minute. However, in this case there is a high risk that its taste will deteriorate.

In the oven

You can soften the product using the oven. As in the case of a microwave, this exposure destroys some of the beneficial substances.

How to soften an avocado in the oven:

The fruit is washed and several punctures are made in it with a fork.
Wrap in foil and place in the oven. The device is set to a temperature of +200…+210°C.
In 10 minutes. the fruit is taken out of the oven. This time is enough for it to soften.

In paper

To make avocados ripen faster at home, use a proven method. The fruit is wrapped in newspaper or paper as tightly as possible so that there is no free space left, and kept at room temperature.

Using this method, the fruit will ripen within 2-4 days. At the same time, it will retain the maximum amount of nutrients and acquire a pleasant taste and rich aroma.

In foil

You can help the fruit ripen by wrapping it in foil. In this form, it is placed in a warm place, for example, in the bottom cabinet of a kitchen unit.

Under such conditions, the fruit will ripen within 2-4 days. At the same time, its taste and composition will not change for the worse.

Advice. In winter, to speed up ripening, avocados in foil are placed near the radiator.

In boiling water

One option is to use boiling water. This method, like other heat treatment options, negatively affects the taste and healthiness of the product, but makes it ready for consumption in a few minutes.

What to do if the avocado is unripe and hard:

Several holes or a cross-shaped incision is made in the fruit at the base.
Place in boiling water and leave there for 5 minutes.
Remove from boiling water and check. If it is not soft enough, boil for a few more minutes.

How to make an avocado soft quickly?

If you bought an unripe avocado and are trying to figure out what to do, decide how much time is left until it is consumed or used in a recipe.

Express methods include:

Microwave (a few minutes);
Oven (up to ten minutes);
Boiling water (two minutes).

However, it should be remembered that quick methods affect the quality of taste and consistency of the product; you will have to mask them with the help of other components of the recipe or spices. Suitable for preparing multi-component sauces.

When buying a hard avocado, don’t be upset when you learn how to make it soft. Take advantage of one of the ways to ripen avocados at home quickly and efficiently? Where to put avocados to ripen? And enjoy the range of beneficial properties and unusual recipes available to lovers of the exotic fruit.

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Storage for ripening

If there is no need to soften the fruit as quickly as possible, it is better to do it gradually. In this case, it will retain maximum nutrients and acquire a pleasant taste.

There are a few simple tricks that will help speed up the ripening of the fruit a little.

How to store an avocado so that it ripens:

Place on the windowsill near the south window. Turn occasionally on different sides so that it softens evenly.
Place the fruit in the same basket with apples and bananas. Store at room temperature.
Place it near a working heating device, for example, on a newspaper under the radiator.

How to eat avocado?

Before eating, you need to wash the avocado and make a cut lengthwise with a knife. Using both hands, roll the fruit so that it is divided in half. If the avocado is ripe, then this will not be difficult. The bone is discarded, and the pulp is scraped out with a spoon or carefully removed. It is recommended to use it immediately for cooking and not store it in the refrigerator.

Avocado is a healthy fruit that is worth adding to your daily diet. It has valuable and nutritional properties, tastes good, and is easy to prepare.

Disclaimer

Please note that all information posted on the Prowellness website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute a personal program, a direct recommendation for action or medical advice. Do not use these materials for diagnosis, treatment or any medical procedures. Consult your physician before using any method or product. This site is not a specialized medical portal and does not replace professional advice from a specialist. The Site Owner does not bear any liability to any party who has suffered indirect or direct damage as a result of improper use of materials posted on this resource.

How to ripen a cut avocado

If an already cut avocado turns out to be unripe, it can be preserved until softened without using high temperatures. To do this, the halves are smeared with lemon juice and pressed as tightly as possible against each other. Then wrap it in cling film, leaving no free areas.

In this form, the product lies at room temperature or in the refrigerator until it reaches the desired consistency.

Important! If, when wrapping the fruit in film, you leave open areas through which oxygen enters the pulp, it will spoil.

How to recognize ripe and unripe fruit

Determining the ripeness of a fruit in a store is not difficult if you know all the distinctive features. But you shouldn’t be upset when buying an unripe specimen. This fruit ripens well at home.

Peel color

The peel and shade of different varieties may vary. Some avocados have a smooth surface, while others have pimples or wrinkles. The degree of maturity is determined by the color of the peel:

a light green tint indicates that the fruit is not ripe;
moderately green in color - almost ready to eat, it will ripen on its own in a day;
with a dark green color, the fruit is ready to eat;
very dark shade, almost black - the avocado is spoiled.

Fruit hardness

If it is not possible to determine the degree of ripeness by the color of the skin, then you can understand by the hardness of the fruit.

A hard, hard fruit that cannot be pressed is not yet ripe. He will need to lie down for about another week.
Slightly soft when pressed, the avocado will ripen in a couple of days.
The fruit is ripe if, with gentle pressure, softness is felt and the fruit is pressed through.
Overripe ones are too soft and may have dents.

Depending on the variety, the color can be almost any shade. There are completely black fruits, which are among the most delicious; in this variety, ripeness is determined only by hardness.

Condition of the seed and stalk

You can check the ripeness of the fruit by examining the cutting. If there is a tail, you need to tear it off. If the stalk is light brown, it means the fruit is ripe. Black color is a sign of overripe fruit, which is not recommended for consumption.