Select and ripen
Avocados will ripen in your fruit bowl but to accelerate the process, pop in a brown paper bag and include a banana or apple. These other fruits give off ethylene gas, which is a ripening agent.
For pre-ripened avocados (those which have been treated with ethylene or other ripening agent to speed the ripening process), simply place in your fruit bowl to finish off the ripening process which should occur in 2 – 3 days.
Hass
Hass avocados change colour as they ripen so choose an avocado based on its colour rather than squeezing as this causes bruising. Avoid extremely soft avocados with very dark skin or dented or flattened areas.
Firm and bright Green - not ripe
Store in fruit bowl until skin turns dark green. Approximately 7 days till eating.
Olive Green - not ripe
Store in fruit bowl until skin turns dark green. Approximately 3-5 days till eating.
Dark green - firm ripe
Ready to eat. Perfect for slicing, dicing, or cubes.
Store in fridge to keep firm or continue to ripen in fruit bowl until dark purple.
Store in fridge to keep firm or continue to ripen in fruit bowl until dark purple.
Dark purple - soft ripe
Ready to eat. Perfect for mashing, spreading, or dips. Store in fridge.
Reed
The reed avocado is another variety sometimes seen in New Zealand. It is characterized by it’s circular appearance.
Reed stays green when ripe.
The skin of a Reed avocado stays green when ripe. Reed avocados are ready to eat when the skin yields to gentle pressure but please only use this technique at home once you have purchased your avocado. You can test if Reed is ready to eat by gently pressing the stem on top of the fruit. If the stem moves, the Reed avocado is ready to eat.
Store
- Uncut ripe fruit can be refrigerated until eaten, but limit this to two or three days.
- Cut avocado can be sprinkled with lemon juice, lime juice or white vinegar and placed in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They should be eaten within a day or two. If the top layer goes brown, you can simply scrape this off and you’ll find the flesh underneath is perfectly fine.
- Avocado can be pureed with lemon juice and frozen for up to four months.