The best ways to ripen avocados at home quickly and easily

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:

1. Blooming. 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.
2. 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.
3. The bone. It should separate easily from the pulp.If this is not the case, it means the fruit is not ripe.
4. 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.
5. 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 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.

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:

1. The fruit is washed and several holes are made in it using a fork.
2. Then placed in a plastic tray. The lid is not covered.
3. The container with the product is placed in a microwave oven, which is turned on for 1 minute.
4. 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:

1. The fruit is washed and several punctures are made in it with a fork.
2. Wrap in foil and place in the oven. The device is set to a temperature of +200…+210°C.
3. 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:

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

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 store avocadosfor it to ripen:

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

Instantly soften avocados

How to bring an avocado to ripeness:

1. Peel and remove the pit. Then cut into slices and pour boiling water over them. After 1-2 minutes. the product is ready for use.
2. Cut into pieces, peel, place in the microwave for 30 seconds.

How to ripen a cut avocado

If already sliced ​​avocado turned 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.

Conclusion

Green avocado is significantly inferior in taste to ripe fruit.This fruit is hard, does not have a distinct aroma, and many people associate it with unloved raw vegetables. However, it is in this form that the product is most often found on store shelves, which is associated with transportation difficulties.

Ripe fruits have soft, delicate pulp, which has a rich taste and aroma, and is easily separated from the skin and stone. Their consistency is ideal for sauces, salads and appetizers. To achieve the desired softness of the product, different methods are used. The fastest of them allow you to soften the avocado in a few minutes, but have a negative impact on its taste and composition. Longer methods do not reduce quality.