Plus 7 other avocado hacks that you’re going to love!
My luck with having a perfectly ripe avocado seems to be hit or miss.
Sometimes they feel soft enough to be ripe but, once cut open, are a brown disgusting mess inside.
The only method I was relying on to test for ripeness was the texture when the avocado was gently squeezed. Not hard but not soft enough to be squishy.
Squishy was the only sign that I knew meant the avocado would be bad.
Then I was taught another method for testing avocados to see if they are ripe. It seems the best way to determine the ripeness of an avocado is not by firmness but by the color of the skin underneath the stem.
If the little piece of stem is removed and the skin under is brown then the inside will also be brown.
See the picture below? Brown under the stem means brown on the inside too! Yuck!
If the stem is removed and the skin is still a yellow green color then the avocado will be fine.
It still may require sitting on the counter for a day or two in order to soften a bit but at least you haven’t brought home one that is already rotten.
See the picture below? This means a perfectly delicious, not brown and gross, avocado is on the inside. Yay!
Once you’ve got yourself ripe avocados they can be sliced and used right away. If you find yourself with more avocados than you can use while they are fresh then the extra avocado can be frozen.
If you cut the avocados into cubes toss them in a bit of lemon juice before laying them on a cookie sheet in a single layer to freeze. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and once the pieces are frozen place them in a freezer bag. Remember to mark the freezer bag with the date they were frozen.
You can also mash them to freeze. Check out this post about how to prep and freeze them for future use.
Why not try them in this recipe for avocado and tomato dressing.
Avocados are a great food to include in a keto or low carb diet.
They are a nutrient dense food that provides a substantial amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for the calories provided.
- One third of an avocado (about 50 grams) has 80 calories and contains about 20 different vitamins and minerals.
- Avocados contain heart healthy monounsaturated fats.
- They help to increase the absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K so including them with other foods makes them a nutrient booster.
- Avocados creamy texture and mild flavor means it can easily be incorporated into other foods to provide nutrients but won’t over power other flavors.
With all of these benefits why not add some avocado to your meals today?
Are you an avocado lover? Then check out these other great avocado hacks:
3 Great Ways To Ripen An Avocado:
Have an avocado that’s not ready to eat yet? But you want to eat it NOW? Then try one of these hacks to ripen it quicker.
- Place it in a paper bag at room temperature for a day or two. Not the fastest method but it does speed things up.
- Need it to ripen quicker? Then place a banana, pear or apple in the bag with it. These fruits give off a gas as they ripen which in turn ripens the avocado.
- Still not fast enough for you? Want to eat your avocado NOW and can’t wait a few days? Then slice your less than ripe avocado in half, rub some lemon juice on the open portion and bake it in the oven at 300 (F) for 10 minutes. This will soften it up to perfection.
Avocado Storage Hack:
Got a perfectly ripe avocado but your not ready to eat it yet? Then store it in the refrigerator. This will help to maintain the ripeness for a day or two and buy you some time until you’re ready to eat it.
How To Keep Them From Turning Brown:
Use lemon or lime juice to keep an avocado from going brown. Exposure to air causes an oxidation process that turns cut avocados brown. Rub a bit of lemon or lime juice on the unused portion and wrap it in plastic wrap to seal the air out. This will keep it from becoming a unappetizing brown mess.
Best Way To Remove The Avocado:
Want to get every last bit of avocado goodness from your avocado? Then pass on trying to scoop it out of the skin. This leaves lots of bits behind. Instead peel the avocado! The skin actually peels off quite easily. This means more delicious avocado for you to eat!
