How to properly store avocados at home so they don't spoil

Avocado, or alligator pear, is considered one of the best sources of healthy fats. Proponents of proper nutrition recommend eating one half of the fruit every day. However, those who regularly buy this exotic fruit know about its “capriciousness”: one moment it was hard and unripe, but after a couple of days it has already softened and begun to rot. In this article we will talk about how to preserve avocados at home and how long they can be stored in the refrigerator.

How and where is it better to store avocados at home so that they do not spoil?

Before deciding on how to store the purchased fruit, evaluate the degree of its ripeness: a fruit that is soft to the touch, brown in color is mature and should not be stored. The shelf life of this avocado is 24 hours from the date of purchase. More often on the shelves there are bright green, hard fruits that require some more time to ripen.

Alligator pears are stored in several ways.

Can avocados be frozen for eating and storage?

Frozen fruit is stored in the freezer for 4-6 months, while it practically does not lose its rich vitamin and mineral composition. However, during the defrosting process, the creamy texture of the fruit deteriorates and it becomes slippery and watery. This product is more suitable for smoothies and guacamole snacks than as a cut for sandwiches and salads.

Important! Before freezing, the avocado should be fully ripe, but not too soft.

Can avocados be stored in the refrigerator?

Refrigerator shelves are not the best place to store alligator pears: due to the low temperature, unripe green fruits will not have time to reach their proper condition and will spoil. It is better not to store ripe brown fruits at all: they begin to wither and become covered with black dots after 1-2 days.

How long can an avocado last in the refrigerator if there is no other option? If such a need arises, the fruit is placed in vacuum packaging or in a special fresh compartment of the refrigerator to extend its shelf life to 6-7 days.

Attention! Do not wash avocados before placing them in the refrigerator - contact with water will cause the fruit to rot.

How long can avocados be stored at room temperature?

How to properly store avocados for ripening? The best conditions for green fruit are room temperature and natural light without direct sunlight on the fruit. So the fruit will lie for 14 days or more, gradually ripening.

If you place it in a dark place, the shelf life will be reduced to 7 days, since darkness speeds up the ripening process. In any case, the fruits are checked daily and when they reach sufficient softness or if the peel begins to change color, they are eaten.

How to preserve avocados longer

Even though avocados are a perishable product, if you use the right techniques, there are ways to extend their shelf life.

Freezing

If you freeze an avocado whole, it will turn brown and soften when thawed. Therefore, before placing the product in the freezer, it is peeled, pitted and pureed with a fork or blender or cut into cubes.

Puree

The mashed avocado is placed in a glass or plastic container, after adding 1 tbsp to the pulp. l. lemon juice. They do everything quickly - the tender flesh quickly darkens from exposure to oxygen.

Avoid mixing avocados with vegetables such as onions or tomatoes. During thawing, they release a lot of liquid, further diluting the consistency of the puree. The tightly sealed container is labeled and frozen at -18°C.

Cubes

The fruit cut in this way is sprinkled with lemon or lime juice and placed in an airtight vacuum package. You can wrap it in plastic wrap, making sure that as little air as possible remains inside in contact with the pulp. After this, the product is placed in the freezer at a temperature of -18°C.

Attention! To defrost an avocado for use, remove the package from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. Thawing usually takes about 1 hour. Consume the thawed fruit within 24 hours. Repeated freezing will spoil it.

Proper storage in the refrigerator

To extend the shelf life of a ripe avocado to 6-7 days, place it in the refrigerator. At the same time, follow the recommendations on how to store whole and chopped avocados:

1. Do not pre-wash whole fruit.
2. Store the product on the highest shelf, under the freezer.
3. Do not place the fruit next to other fruits and vegetables, as they emit ethylene, which will cause the ripe avocado to spoil.
4. Store half an avocado, without removing the pit or peeling, in a tightly closed container.
5. Place the chopped onion in the container with the alligator pear to prevent the fruit from browning.
6. Wrap a whole or sliced ​​avocado in cling film, put it in a ziplock bag, or use a vacuum food sealer to limit the flow of air and prevent the flesh from oxidizing.
7. Lubricate the pulp of the chopped fruit with lemon juice, apple or wine vinegar, and olive oil to prevent weathering and darkening.
8. Do not store avocado salad in the refrigerator for more than a day.

How to store for ripening

If the purchased avocado is unripe, and there is no time to wait for its natural ripening, this process is accelerated in one of the following ways:

1. The fruit is placed in a craft bag along with a ripe apple, banana or tomato. The ethylene they release activates the ripening of alligator pears. Paper is a breathable material, so the greenhouse effect is eliminated. In 2-3 days the fruit will ripen.
2. If there is no time to wait, the fruit is wrapped in foil and placed in an oven preheated to +200°C for 10-15 minutes. Carefully monitor the time, otherwise the fruit will bake and change its taste.
3. If the unripeness of the product was discovered after cutting it, squeeze the juice of a lemon slice onto the cut, connect both halves tightly together, wrap them in plastic wrap and put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. It will ripen slowly in a cool place. The degree of readiness of the avocado for consumption is checked every 2-3 days.

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Conclusion

Avocado is an exotic fruit that grows in countries with tropical and subtropical climates.It is brought to Russia, as a rule, in an unripe state in order to avoid rapid spoilage.

When properly stored, the alligator pear reaches ripeness and acquires a specific tart taste. Ripe avocados cannot be stored for a long time, but timely freezing will help avoid spoilage of the valuable product.