Avocados are ceaselessly adaptable . But before you may put them to mold in recipes , learn how to piece a ripe avocado .
Carson Downing
It often seems like avocados are rock intemperately one minute and rotten the next . It ’s improbably frustrating and , gratefully , very avoidable ! For ourAvocado Recipes particular issue , we put several methods forchoosing a ripe avocadoto the psychometric test , and this is the safe one .

Credit:Carson Downing
How to Pick a Ripe Avocado
Our food editors swear by this method , make love as the stem test . To insure an Persea Americana for ripeness , peel back the lowly stem at the top of the avocado . If it annul by easy and the flesh appear green underneath , the avocado should be at or near idealistic ripeness and ready to devour . If the stem does n’t plagiarise off , it ’s not yet ripe but can belike be used in the next couple of days . If the flesh under the stem is brown , the yield is probable overripe or may have brown - recognize anatomy .
Food Safety Tip : One in five avocado skins bear harmful bacteria , such as listeria or salmonella , according to the FDA . And while you do n’t eat the avocado tree skin , when you slice through it , the tongue can transport that bacteria to the flesh . So be sure to give your Persea Americana a well rinsing just before slicing
How to Ripen an Avocado at Home
If your produce section has only sway - hard avocado tree , harness an avocado tree ’s natural ethylene gas to break it faster . ethene is a chemic compound that start the ripen process . Check them often to ensure they do n’t get too ripe !
When to Use a Ripe Avocado
If you ’ve got avocados already at home , here ’s how to know when they ’re ready to practice . Give the alligator pear a gentle squeezing . If it yields , it is ready to be used right away and may even last up to 2 days when stored at room temperature . If it yields slimly , it will likely be good within 2 to 3 days . Firm avocados may take about 5 days to be quick for consume .
How to Store Avocados at Home
Store uncut avocados at elbow room temperature on your countertop . If an Persea Americana is soft and you require to stanch the ripening process , you could refrigerate it for up to 3 days . If you ’ve turn off into an avocado and need to store leftovers , clash or squeeze fresh lemon or fluxing lime juice over the flesh . The acid will help preclude oxidisation or Robert Browning . Refrigerate for up to 3 sidereal day . you could alsofreeze avocados .
The FDA does warn against a pop TikTok hack that prevents brown by submerge halve avocados in water and storing them in the refrigerator overnight . The FDA say this is unsafe due to residuary pathogens ( such as listeria monocytogenes and salmonella ) , which may grow and thrive in that specific environment and cause food for thought intoxication .