We have had happen to us, and we’re sure it has happened to you. How many times have you gone to the store for avocados only to find unripened ones, or cut into an avocado to realize it is not fully ripe?
Luckily, there are ways to quickly ripen an avocado so you don’t have to wait too long to add that delicious fruit to your sandwich or salad, or to make guacamole. Here are some methods for you to try.
The Brown Paper Bag Trick
This is a tried and true way to naturally ripen fruit. Place your avocado in a brown paper bag with any fruit that gives off ethylene gas; like an apple, a banana, a pear, papaya or nectarines; and close it up. The ethylene gas will help speed up the ripening process of your unripened avocado, but also keep in mind that it will speed up the ripening process for the other fruit in the bag as well. In just a day, your avocado will start to ripen.
The Stagger Method
If locking your avocado in a bag with ethylene gas is overkill for your partially ripened fruit, try this method. Place the avocado in a bowl on top of other fruit. Place the bowl near a window for better results. With this method you can ripen a few avocados and stagger their ripening rate.
The Microwave Method
If you want to get adventurous with your ripening, you can try out this microwave method. All you need is your oven and some foil. Check out this video:
Ripening a Cut Avocado
Now if you happen to cut into your avocado to find that it’s not fully ripe, you can follow this check to ripening. Start by sprinkling the exposed flesh with a little lemon juice to prevent it from turning brown. Put the two halves back together, and wrap the whole avocado in clear plastic wrap. Place this in the refrigerator. Monitor your fruit for ripeness and use it when it’s ready. That’s all!