Natures Mayonnaise
You either love avocados or hate em. Yes, there are people that don’t like avocados!
What is wrong with them, I know right? But some people are allergic to them and that is understandable.
That would suck to be allergic to cados. Wouldn’t it?
Anyways, this article is about how to keep avocados from going bad (spoiling, because yes they can go bad, more on that later) before you get to enjoy them. I will tell you what tips I use to help prolong having this amazing berry around the house in its ripened state. Because much like mayonnaise, this berry will quickly spoil and go bad on you.
Whether you just slice them or mash ’em up when you consume them this will help you save money and have a reliable source of avocados to draw upon when your heart desires.
If you’re looking for a really simple recipe with avocado, head over to my page, 2 Easy Salmon Roe Recipes.
The Problem Is Brown Avocados
Is there anything worse than cutting an avocado in half to see that dreaded brown?
Yes, after all, it just a berry/fruit. It’s not like something died.
Avocados can become overripe and take on a rancid odor. This occurs when the fruit of the avocado oxidizes (browns). Is there anything more disturbing as brown guacamole or browned avocados? Probably the equivalent would be mayonnaise left in the hot afternoon sun.
Yuck! Bro that’s disgusting.
The avocado tree provides us, people of the world as well as many animals the blessing of its berries, yep berries, it’s technically not a fruit but a berry. Unlike money, the avocado grows on trees. But much like money, it enriches the lives of the people who enjoy this berry.
Avocado fruit ripens and they only ripen when removed from the tree.You can buy this fruit either green or brown or black. This is the outer layer starts out as green when the fruit is unripened til black when ripened.
How To Buy Avocados?
I only buy avocados GREEN!!! You would do well for yourself if you bought only green avocados yourself. Why, because if you’re new to avocados it really hard to tell if the fruit of this berry has browned or not. Even today, after years of buying them, I have been burnt on buying ripened avocados. Taking them home and cutting them in half to find it littered with brown spots. At least it will help with my compost bin and not into a landfill.
I find it okay to buy avocados with some green and black/brown combination, as long as there is green present. You are pretty safe buying these.
For me, they have to be green or have some green on them. I have personally bought way too many ripened avocados only to get them home and cut them in half to find the dreaded brown spots littered throughout the fruit. Now, I’ll walk right past a stand of ripened avocados at the store and ignore them like a friend that has stabbed me in the back. Nope, not today…
Green, green, green… Buying green avocados does have it drawbacks though. You have to have the patience for it to ripen. Along with patience, you have to check the fruit every day to see if it is ripe yet. This takes a little work and effort but nothing grand or anything. Forgetting about these ripening avocados for a couple of days can result in wasted fruit and money. Avocados take some thought, care, and some planning, but in my mind are totally worth it.
You can tell if an avocado is ripe to by feel. The right way to tell by feel is by gently squeezing in the palm of your hand. Not your fingertips!!!! You’ll bruise it.
Unripened – Firm when squeezed, no give.
Ripe – Gives a little to firm pressure. Guacamole anyone?
Overripe – When gently pressured is applied with your palm and it feels mushy it’s too late. Usually, the outer skin will be dented too, when pressure is applied.
How Long Does It Take For An Avocado To Ripen?
From my experience, it can take anywhere from two to seven days to ripen at room temperature. When the avocado is green it is very firm. As the avocado ripen it becomes more and more softer.
Tips On Keeping That Ripe Avocado From Going Bad
My number one tip is, over the years I have found that storing the perfectly ripened avocado in the crisper of your fridge will yield the longest time to stave off the dreaded browning or oxidation. This has saved me countless dollars and improved my health, as everyone nowadays know how healthy avocados are.
- Buy green avocados.
- Check daily for optimal color and firmness.
- Refrigerate ripe avocado that you aren’t going to eat that day. This is what I have found to help increase the lifespan of ripe avocado. I usually just put them in my crisper. I find I can get four to six more days out of them, as compared to just leaving them at room temperature.
- Avoid storing your avocado in direct sunlight. This will oxidize the avocado much faster.
- Acidity foods are your friend. These are lemons, lime, tomatoes, oranges, onion, and vinegar. These will help to store of sliced or mashed avocado for both refrigerated or frozen.
- Plastic wrap, wax paper, or an airtight container is great for helping store cut avocados. As this limits the amount of air on the avocado and helps stop oxidation.
- Get a molcajete!!!! I have an authentic molcajete in which I have sitting on my counter, I put my unripened avocados in there to ripen. It looks pretty cool and it is my preferred method of making guacamole. Trust me it tastes better. A molcajete is just a mortar and pestle to thoroughly blend the ingredients and allow for better taste.
Can You Eat Brown Avocado?
No. It is highly recommended not to eat a brown or any part of the fruit that appears brown. With this browness, is often an odor is associated with this. Another clue to discard this (hopefully, in a compost bin).
Can I Freeze Avocados?
Yes, you can freeze avocados. But…there is always a but, right? Freezing the avocado does something to its consistency.
To counteract this, it is best to store your avocado in a puree fashion. As the frozen puree is the best form in which to store avocado in the freezer. Simply use a blender or food processor with some of the all-important anti-browning lemon juice (1 tablespoon). It is probably best to store this is small like portions, as having a big freezer bag full of pureed avocados, wouldn’t be ideal to thaw and use. Freezing them in ice cube trays is the perfect size when you’re ready to use them again. Then transfer them to a large freezer bag. Done… A great option instead of letting them rot.
Avocado Are Amazing
I hope this post has shed some ways in which to store and buy the best avocados and to have them around when you need them. It is important to always try and avoid waste, both in product waste and your hard earned money waste. I know, I have saved myself both after learning the hard way.
Now go out and enjoy this amazing fruit.
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