Avocado is a fruit with remarkable health benefits. It is a rich source of essential unsaturated fatty acids, which leads to improved absorption of vitamins soluble in them (A, D, E, K). This exotic fruit also contains folic acid and B-group vitamins. The avocado originates from Central America. The most extensive plantations are located in Mexico.
Did you know that avocados are harvested when they are still unripe? And that their growth process starts even during transport. In today’s article, I will suggest how to speed up ripening and store avocados at home.
Avocado is a fruit that ripens after being picked from the tree. The transport from the plantation to the store shelf can take several days. And even then, the purchased avocados can still be unripe.
How to accelerate avocado ripening [1]?
- To accelerate the ripening of the avocado, you need to place it in a paper bag along with another fruit or vegetable. Tomato fruits, apples, or bananas produce ethylene, which speeds up the ripening process of the avocado. It’s a good idea to add them to the avocado package.
- Another trick involves wrapping the avocado in aluminum foil. Place this prepared package in an oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes. Then, put it in the refrigerator until it cools down.
- The last method is for the more patient. Leave the avocado fruit on the kitchen counter and wait to ripen.
How to recognize ripe avocado at the time of purchase [2]?
You can determine the ripeness of an avocado at the time of purchase. It’s pretty simple. Of course, color matters. A fully ripe fruit has a darker skin. It’s intensely green or purple, depending on the variety. If you are still doubtful, you need to check its softness. A ripe fruit is soft to the touch. The last trick to check the ripeness of the avocado is to remove the tip (stalk). The fruit is ready to eat if we can do this without a problem.
The color of the flesh under the stalk also matters. Green indicates that the fruit still needs to wait before consumption. Brown, on the other hand, means it is already overripe. The most desirable are shades of yellow.
Avocado storage
How to prevent browning? [3]
Anyone who has ever left a sliced avocado on the kitchen counter without protection knows it quickly browns. It loses its color due to oxygen exposure. There is a solution. It would help to sprinkle the avocado with lime or lemon juice immediately after peeling.
How do you store whole avocados, and how do you keep them when cut into pieces?
If we have an unripe fruit, we can store it at room temperature. It should be placed in the refrigerator if it is ready to eat.
Pieces cut should be protected with olive oil or another edible oil. In this way, we prevent the avocado from changing color.
Summary
In recent years, avocado has gained popularity. It has earned the superfood title thanks to its nutritional value and health benefits. It’s worth incorporating into your diet as a paste, smoothie, or delicious guacamole.
Now you know how to store avocados :)
Bibliography:
- Jak przyspieszyć dojrzewanie awokado, żeby szybciej było miękkie? – Dziennik szefa | Przepisy.pl
- Kiedy awokado jest dojrzałe? | FajneGotowanie.pl
- AWOKADO A ZDROWIE – Fakty o żywności (faktyozywnosci.pl)
