As it begins to overripen, it may develop brown patches or streaks, black spots, or a stringy, fibrous texture. A few dark spots may be bruises and can be cut away if the rest looks fine, but dark, fibrous flesh, particularly if it feels soft and mushy, is likely past its best.
If an avocado is brown on the inside, it might not look pretty and might taste bitter. It's still safe to eat, but the less browning there is, the better.
Ripe avocados will feel firm, with a slight give when squeezed, and will typically be very dark green in color. If it looks black and mushy, the avocado is past its prime. On the other hand, if it's bright green and very hard, the avocado is underripe and can still be used with one of the tricks below.
Ripe avocados should yield to gentle pressure without leaving indentations or feeling mushy.
Yes, you can eat an unripe avocado, but we don't recommend it. The avocado won't have its wonderfully creamy texture and it won't taste as delicious as normal. Check out our other how to videos to learn tips for ripening avocados.
Countertop, Fridge or Freezer? Until they're fully ripe, avocados should be stored at room temperature. Placing an unripe avocado in the refrigerator will slow the ripening process, but the same concept applies to ripe avocados: put them in the refrigerator to keep them at their prime ripeness for longer.
For ripe avocados, place them in your refrigerator for 2-3 days to keep them fresh. If your avocado isn't quite ripe, leave it out on your countertop. Over the next 4-5 days, your avocado will ripen and be ready for you to enjoy.
Once you cut open an avocado, it begins its quick march toward oxidation, turning from a fresh, bright green to an unappetizing brown. Although it's safe to eat an avocado that has started to turn brown, it won't taste as good.
The rapid browning of avocado flesh is a consequence of its exposure to oxygen in the air, as well as the presence of phenolic compounds in the avocado itself.
Avocados contain an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, which causes the flesh to brown when exposed to air—or more specifically, when it's exposed to oxygen. So in order to maintain that gorgeous green color, the flesh of an avocado needs to be protected from oxygen exposure.
A rotten avocado undergoes bacterial action. It tastes and smells bad. You can experience bloating, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea if you are not careful. Eating a moldy avocado can cause allergic reactions and breathing troubles.
There are two reasons for avocados to taste bitter: underripeness, or because they have been cooked. If the avocado is fairly firm, then it's probably just underripe and you can wait.
Firm, uncut avocados can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. They will continue to ripen while in the refrigerator, but at a slower rate.
The paper bag traps the ethylene, holding it closer to the fruit and helping it ripen faster. Does it have to be a paper bag? Yes. Plastic bags trap moisture that will cause the fruit to rot before it properly ripens.
The darker the color, the riper the avocado.
If your avocado is rock hard and nowhere near ripe enough to eat, you'll need to rely upon your oven. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Without cutting into the fruit, wrap the avocado in aluminum foil, and bake on a sheet pan for ten minutes. Check for ripeness.
After speaking with avocado experts and running some in-house tests, we learned that avocados can continue to ripen after they've been cut. In fact, as long as you store the cut fruit properly and give it a few extra days, it will be just as creamy and rich as if you had opened it at peak ripeness.
Bright green: If your avocado has a bright green color, this means that it is still around four to seven days from being ripe. Avocados this color will typically be hard to the touch and will need to rest on the counter for a few days—maybe even a week—before you can eat them. Underripe avocados tend to lack flavor.
How to "ripen" an avocado in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Wrap an avocado in foil and bake, checking every 10 minutes, until the avocado is soft enough to use.
To speed up the avocado ripening process we recommend placing unripe avocados in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana for two to three days until they are ripe. We do not recommend any other method of ripening avocados.
To get your avocado fix early and with maximum flavor, simply place them next to a window in the heat of the sun to help them ripen faster. This allows the fruit to ripen naturally, resulting in the soft, buttery flesh and delicious, nutty flavor we all love.