How to Store Avocados Once They’re Ripe | Glad® (2024)

Avocados are available year-round and are great for salads, guacamole, and avocado toast. There are several steps you can take to get your avocados ready to eat at the perfect time.

How to Store Avocados Once They’re Ripe | Glad® (1)

How to Store Avocados Once They’re Ripe | Glad® (2)

How to Ripen Avocados

Some fruits, including most citrus, berries and melons, will only ever be as mature as the day they are picked. Avocados, however, only begin their ripening process once they’re plucked off of the tree which is why most market avocados haven’t fully ripened when you’re ready to take them home. If you’re looking to consume your avocados quickly after purchasing, there are methods for speeding up the ripening process.

The most commonly used method is to place your avocado in a brown paper bag. The avocado produces ethylene gas as part of its ripening process, and the bag helps to concentrate it around the fruit and speed the ripening. It’s important to use paper instead of plastic because of its porous nature; plastic will trap moisture which can lead to mold, while paper can help to absorb it. If you need to speed up the ripening process even more, add an apple to the bag — they’re known to produce a lot of ethylene.

Keeping Avocados Looking Fresh

When an avocado is cut and oxygen is introduced to the plant tissue, a chemical reaction called oxidation occurs. Avocados contain an enzyme that, when in contact with oxygen, turns colorless compounds into brown pigments known as melanins. This is the same process that occurs when a sliced apple turns brown.

Brown avocados are safe to eat, but there’s something about brown avocados that’s a bit off-putting. There are several easy ways to keep your cut avocado fresh, including:

How to Store Avocados Once They’re Ripe | Glad® (3)

Add:

Add lemon juice to your avocados by rubbing it on the exposed flesh. The acid will slow the browning reaction.

How to Store Avocados Once They’re Ripe | Glad® (4)

Cover:

Cover the exposed avocado flesh in Glad Press’n Seal® wrap. A tight seal is critical to preventing oxygen from reaching the flesh, thus preventing the browning.

How to Store Avocados Once They’re Ripe | Glad® (5)

Store:

Storing your avocado with its core is a commonly used method of keeping it fresh, but note the flesh will only be shielded from oxygen where the pit is sealing.

How to Store Avocados Once They’re Ripe | Glad® (6)

Refrigerate:

Chilling the avocado will slow down the enzymes that enable the browning reaction. This should be done in addition to wrapping the avocado with Glad Press’n Seal®.

Countertop, Fridge or Freezer?

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.

Avocados will freeze well, but this requires a bit more preparation. You will want to wash, peel, puree and add a bit of lemon juice to your avocados before freezing. Pour the puree into your desired storage container and it will last for several months.

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How to Store Avocados Once They’re Ripe | Glad® (2024)

FAQs

How to Store Avocados Once They’re Ripe | Glad®? ›

The method seemed simple enough: You're supposed to submerge whole avocados in cool water in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. Leave the container there until you're ready to use. Take it out, dry off the avocados, and enjoy.

How do you keep avocados fresh after ripening? ›

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.

What is the best way to ripen store bought avocados? ›

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.

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.

Can you freeze avocados to make them last longer? ›

Freezing whole avocados is simple. Simply put them in the freezer whole - they'll last for up to three months there.

How to make avocados last longer? ›

Brush the avocado flesh with lemon or lime juice. This will help minimize exposure to air and slow down browning, which is caused by a chemical process called oxidation. Tightly wrap the avocado in plastic film to further reduce air exposure. Place the avocado in an airtight container.

Does putting avocados in water in the fridge keep them fresh longer? ›

A recent TikTok trend had us all believing this problem was solved. All you do is submerge the cut avocado in a sealed container full of water in the fridge for a perfectly green avocado days later. But, after further investigation, we can't recommend it.

Will avocados ripen on the counter? ›

If your avocado feels hard, you can leave it out on your countertop to ripen naturally. Ideally, store this green fruit at room temperature, out of the way of direct sunlight. Over the next 4-5 days, your avocado will ripen and be ready for you to make your signature guacamole. Be sure to check for ripeness daily.

Will avocados ripen in a plastic bag? ›

This will speed things up by a day or two; you should have a ripe avocado in three to six days. Stashing the fruit in a paper bag keeps them warm and helps trap the ethylene gas. And yes, go for paper, not plastic. “The plastic will sweat and the fruit will sweat and the plastic will keep the moisture in,” says Shade.

How to tell if an avocado is bad? ›

Here are 5 telltale signs when an avocado has gone bad and shouldn't be used anymore.
  1. The avocado is soft and the rind is concave. ...
  2. The shell turns dark black. ...
  3. The avocado flesh is dark and black. ...
  4. Strange smell and taste appear. ...
  5. Milestones.

Can you eat avocado spread after it turns brown? ›

Although brown guacamole isn't the most appealing, it's completely safe to eat (as long as you've stored the guacamole in the refrigerator, and it isn't more than three days old). "While a bit off-putting to look at, brown guacamole is totally safe," confirms Food Network's nutritionist, Dana Angelo White, MS RD ATC.

How does Chipotle keep their guacamole so green? ›

Each panned guac gets sealed airtight with Saran Wrap,” he said. “Then it gets lidded, labeled and stored for later use. This process ensures freshness and prevents browning,” he continued.

Is it OK to eat avocado that has turned brown? ›

You can safely eat an avocado or guacamole that has turned brown due to oxidation, just as you could eat an apple that has undergone the same chemical reaction. However, it certainly doesn't look as appetizing when presented on a plate, and the taste may be slightly altered (read: a tad bitter).

Do avocados taste good after being frozen? ›

Because water expands when the avocado freezes, its texture will change. This means frozen and thawed avocados will not be as fresh, flavorful, or buttery as a fresh avocado. That's why we do not recommend freezing avocados — good thing fresh, ripe Avocados From Mexico are always in season!

What can I do with excess avocados? ›

Waste Saving Ideas
  1. Guac Avo-Obvi. Served up with salty chips and a refreshing beverage, cool, spicy guacamole is a summertime staple.
  2. Smoothies and Shakes. ...
  3. Hummus. ...
  4. Chocolate Mousse. ...
  5. Baked Goods. ...
  6. Paletas. ...
  7. Salad Dressing. ...
  8. Mayo Replacer.
Jul 31, 2018

Is it better to freeze ripe or unripe avocados? ›

Yes, you can freeze avocados! But it's important to make sure they're at peak ripeness before you do. Unripe avocados will probably never ripen if they're frozen. You don't need to jump through any hoops if you're freezing a whole avocado—just put the fruit in the freezer and call it a day.

Can you put avocados in the fridge after they ripen? ›

If your avocado yields under gentle pressure and has dark green to black skin with a bumpy texture, your avocado is ripe. For ripe avocados, place them in your refrigerator for 2-3 days to keep them fresh.

Can you keep an avocado once cut? ›

To store a leftover avocado half, leave the skin and pit to help limit the surface area exposed to air. Sprinkle the exposed flesh with lemon or lime juice and tightly cover it with clear plastic wrap. The leftover avocado half can be stored in your refrigerator for up to 3 days depending on the level of ripeness.

What to do with cut unripe avocado? ›

If you've cut into an avocado only to realise it's rock solid, there are three things you can do to save it:
  1. Wrap and keep it. This is the least quick of the fixes, but it might be the simplest. ...
  2. Blend it. ...
  3. Bake it.
Sep 20, 2018

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