Where I live, far from avocado country, it’s not unusual for organic avocados to be $2.50 or $3 each.
“Oh, waaah, you big crybaby,” locavore purists might argue, “avocados are expensive because you live in Seattle, so stop buying non-local food!”
To which I reply: “The zombies can have my guacamole when they pry it from my salt-covered, tortilla chip-holding fingers.”
In any event, if you are paying $3 for a single avocado, you want that avocado to be freaking perfect: soft but not bruised, fully ripe but not rotten.
But I suspect many avocado lovers have experienced, as I have, the disappointment of slicing into their avo only to find brown streaks or dark, rotten bruising on the inside.
Gross.
Here’s how to make sure that never happens again.
Before you commit to a specific avocado, look for all the external signs of ripe-but-not-rotten. With a Hass avocado (the variety we tend to get on the West coast), the skin should be very dark green-to-black and bumpy. The fruit should feel heavy and firm, with no obvious smooshy parts or flat areas.
Now here’s the trick. Once you’ve got a good candidate, take a sneak-peak at what’s inside. Discreetly flick the dry stem off the fruit.
If you see a brown patch under the stem, put that avocado back. It will be gross inside.
Like this:
But, if the fruit right under the stem is bright avocado yellow-green, you have a winner. Your avocado will be great.
Like this:
This technique has never failed me.
Haas avocados purchased hard and green will ripen nicely on the counter over several days. However, once your avocado hits that black-skinned stage, don’t delay in enjoying it. The difference between a soft and creamy avocado and a brown-streaked, half-rotten one is only a few days on the counter.
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This is an interesting tip. I’ll give it a try. I’m one of those who are annoyed at finding so many avocados without their stems and the exposed area already a woody, barky brown. Conversely, I dislike finding spring green avocados that are as hard as iron that take a week to ripen on my window ledge. I make my shopping list and menu at the beginning of the week and find myself having to shift meals around when the avocados aren’t ripe yet.
(Something else I dislike is when I buy a bag of avocados and they are hard for days then suddenly all ripen at once! It’s a challenge to fit that many avocados into a few meals LOL)
Here’s something I noticed: different cultures enjoy avocados at different stages of ripeness. I like mine picture perfect, yet I’ve seen some of my many friends of different cultures enjoy them rock hard all the way down to just-about-ready-to-rot.
Thanks Lucie, I bought some today and checked as you had said……
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What a fantastic tip!!! I’ve definitely had the smooshy, rotten avocado experience. Thanks for making sure it never happens to me again 🙂
This is amazing! Thanks for the revolutionary tip!
Thank you!! Nothing worse than getting ready to make guacamole and then slicing into a brown, mushy mess!
Awesome
When Avocado feels like its ready but you are not. Put in fridg , will last at that stage for about a week. A food network tip
AMAZING! Funny is I JUST noticed this today with my Avocados on my counter, 2 days ago, beautiful, today I noticed EXACTLY what you show in this pic, i was sad I had to compost them instead. we did taste them first, not good!
I also just linked this picture up on post of mine I had written this morning, you can find it here http://www.couponcrazyfreebiefanatic.com/1/post/2013/08/how-to-cut-up-an-avocado.html
Just Until I get more avocados and take my own picture!
Thanks for a great tip!!
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But do they serve ripe and delicious avocados?
great info, thanks !!
Great tip. PLUS even if you buy them hard and then wait you can eat them at just the right moment. It’s harder to buy for tonight!!!
I believe I have avocado anxiety.. ha ha…Now at least I can check first and bring home a good one! Great tip!!
Cool tip. Thanks, I will try it. Also, if you shop at a good store they will exchange your janky avocado. Done it a few times. Nothing worse than your guacamole plans thwarted by some brown baby poop mush pretending to be some sweet green goodness….
You shouldn’t encourage people to remove the stems from avocados they haven’t yet bought. This wrecks it for other shoppers who come after them.
I gently rub my thumb over the stem. If it seems firmly attached, it’s a sale. If it feels like it’s starting to come loose, I’ll make sure to eat it within a day or two. If it comes right off with little effort, it goes back.
But it’s not cool to do that to other people’s avocados.
Thank you for the tips.
I have had that gross experience too many times. Especially for the past month, I’ve actually “lost” at least TEN avocados. (I bought them when they are really green and let them ripe on the kitchen counter, but lately, some of them just darkened and rot, while some had patches of light brown developed on the darkened skins…gross!)
As for the prices of avocados, I live in Hong Kong and they are not that expensive here. For example, the “Avoterra” 4046 Hass sells for USD1.55 for TWO, and this is the kind of regular sale price for almost all supermarkets here.
I used this tip on avocados I bought from the store. Alas, my avocado was rotten from the bottom. The top was slightly under ripe. Ugh.
Thanks for sharing this great tip. I’ve included a link to it in my Secret Guacamole recipe. Your tip is one of three secrets. Love it! Appreciate you sharing! Blessings, Kelly
Once the avocado has ripened on the counter, I pop it into the fridge if I’m not ready to use it right away. It buys you a few more days. Also, if you only want a little piece, like for a sandwich or an individual salad plate, wash it and slice out only the section you want, without peeling the whole thing. Cover and put back in fridge to save the rest for another time. Works great. 🙂
Thank you for this avocado tip.