How to Keep Guacamole Green (2024)

Faith Durand

Faith DurandSVP of Content

Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.

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updated Aug 22, 2022

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How to Keep Guacamole Green (1)

My husband is something of a guacamole connoisseur. When good avocados can be found in our decidedly non-tropical state, he scoops them up and works on perfecting his guacamole technique. So, I’ve spent some time trying to make his guacamole last. In the rare instances we don’t polish off the bowl, it seems a terrible shame to waste an ounce of that good green stuff.

In the past, my efforts to keep guacamole green and fresh overnight have always failed. I’ve seen many ideas for keeping guacamole fresh — Keep the avocado pit in the bowl! Press plastic wrap on top! Use more lime! — but none of them have ever worked for me. Invariably, the top of the guacamole turns brown, and I have to scrape at least an inch off to get to the good stuff below.

Luckily, I’ve discovered a simple, foolproof, and easy way to keep guacamole green and delicious — and no, it doesn’t involve avocado pits or extra lime juice. Want to see how I do it?

See this bowl of creamy guacamole? I made it over 24 hours before I took this photo, and yet it is still as fresh and green as it was the day before.

How to Keep Guacamole Green

To prevent your guacamole from turning brown, use water! Yes, a small amount of water is a great way to help guacamole maintain its vibrant green color and stay fresh.

Here’s how to do it: Put the guacamole in an airtight container that has a tight-fitting lid. Pack the guacamole tightly in the bowl, pressing out any air bubbles with the back of a spoon. Slowly add some lukewarm water over the top.

You can fill a measuring cup and pour the water gently down the sides so it doesn’t disturb the surface of the guac too much. Make sure the water covers the surface of the guacamole until it’s about 1/2 inch up the sides.Put on the lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

When ready to eat, take off the lid and and gently pour out the water. Stir up the guacamole to incorporate any extra moisture, and it’s ready to eat!

Why the Water Method Works So Well

Water is a perfect barrier against oxygen, and since guacamole is dense, a little liquid won’t water it down or affect the flavor or texture of the guac like adding extra lime juice would. (I like a precise balance of lime to avocado in my guac, and I don’t want to drench the guacamole in juice to keep it fresh.)

This method is easy and cheap, and you can use it with any kind of guacamole. Once you’ve poured the water off and given the guac a stir, it’s as good as new — maybe even better because the flavors have a chance to meld.

Try Serving Guacamole With Some of Our Favorite Recipes

(Images: Faith Durand, Sara Kate Gillingham)

How to Keep Guacamole Green (2024)

FAQs

How to Keep Guacamole Green? ›

Drizzle a 1/2-inch deep layer of water onto the smooth surface, cover with plastic, pressing it gently, but directly onto the surface. The next day, pour it off and stir just before serving. The verdict: This is the most effective and least expensive way to preserve color and maintain flavor.

How do restaurants keep guacamole green? ›

Drizzle a 1/2-inch deep layer of water onto the smooth surface, cover with plastic, pressing it gently, but directly onto the surface. The next day, pour it off and stir just before serving. The verdict: This is the most effective and least expensive way to preserve color and maintain flavor.

What do you put in guacamole to keep it green? ›

DOES LEMON JUICE KEEP GUACAMOLE FROM TURNING BROWN? Yes! The lemon forms a barrier between the outside air and the guacamole to make sure the dip stays its greenest.

How do you keep guacamole from turning brown? ›

Pour water over the guacamole

Make sure water covers the surface completely—all the way to the container's edge. Editor's Tip: You may have heard a squirt of lemon or lime juice also keeps guacamole from browning. It's true—as long as you cover the entire surface of the dip with citrus juice.

How does chipotle guacamole stay green? ›

In order to keep the dip from turning from a vibrant green to a yucky, brown hue by the day's end, it is double sealed. His third TikTok clip showed how each tin of guacamole is sealed to keep it from going bad. “Each panned guac gets sealed airtight with Saran Wrap,” he said.

Does lemon juice keep guacamole green? ›

Water is a great trick to use for storing guacamole so it stays fresh, but there are a few other options as well. Acid, like lemon, lime, or vinegar, creates a barrier against oxygen as well, so applying a thin layer will work in a similar way.

How does grocery store guacamole stay green? ›

But as every guac fan knows, the stuff has a tendency to look nasty in a hurry, a problem only compounded when the product is made in advance. Fortunately for Wholly, the brand had already pioneered a high-pressure process that removes all the air from the container, so the batch doesn't oxidize and turn brown.

How long will guacamole stay green? ›

The day after you make it, the guacamole will be as green as when you put it in the fridge. You can use this technique to keep guacamole green for up to two days. Just cover the bowl with plastic wrap when you store it so you don't accidentally spill the water or set anything else in it.

Does olive oil prevent guacamole from turning brown? ›

Smoothing the surface of the guacamole and then brushing olive oil on top is thought to prevent browning. I used a silicone pastry brush dipped in a little bit of olive oil and brushed it on top of the guacamole.

How do you increase the shelf life of guacamole? ›

The Best Way to Keep Guacamole Fresh

The best way to make sure your guacamole airtight is to cover it with a material that actually won't let any air in – water. To start, pack your guacamole tightly into the bottom of a tightly sealing container and pour on top a layer of lukewarm water.

How far ahead can I make guacamole? ›

The key is simple: you need to press the plastic wrap directly and completely against the surface of the guacamole. When stored this way, guacamole can be made ahead and stored in the fridge up to overnight with nary a brown spot in sight.

How do restaurants keep avocados from turning brown? ›

The main goal is to prevent oxygen from touching the avocado's flesh. Plastic wrap is a practical, albeit not foolproof way to slow down the natural course of fruit aging. The trick is to make sure the plastic wrap is sealed flush with the flesh.

How do restaurants keep their guacamole green? ›

To keep the leftover guacamole from browning, the employee rips off a sheet of plastic wrap, then presses it all the way down to the surface of the guacamole, knocking out the air that would be in the container if it was just sealed with a lid.

How do you keep leftover guacamole green and fresh? ›

Make your guacamole, then place any uneaten dip in a resealable container. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the dip, lightly pressing all over to make sure the plastic is directly in contact with the entire surface of the dip. Store the guacamole in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Why you should leave the lime out of guacamole? ›

You see, lime is a very strong acidic flavor and it can easily overpower the delicate flavor of the avocado. Instead, finely dice red onions and pickle them with lime juice for 15-30 minutes.

Does leaving the pit in guacamole keep it green? ›

The guacamole under the bulb will stay green. So what is the best method to reduce the browning? Cover the guacamole with plastic wrap, which will make it impervious to oxygen. Back in the day Saran Wrap was the best option, as it was made from polyvinylidene chloride.

How do restaurants store avocado? ›

Placing fresh avocados in brown paper bags, along with some apples, gets them ready for eating within a couple of days.

How does packaged guacamole stay fresh? ›

As for the pre-packaged guacamole, companies use one of three methods to keep it from turning brown, according to PowerFoodHealth. The first option to eliminate contact with oxygen is to place the guacamole in a container that can be vacuum sealed to remove all the air.

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