TIP: Buying and How to Store Avocados

 

Buying and How to Store Avocados

Picking out the perfect avocado can be challenging. Storing it to maximize its freshness is even more of a challenge. Hopefully these tips will help:

• Look for avocados that have a uniform texture all over. If there’re soft spots, that means they’re bruised.

• Don’t judge by the color of the fruit. Avocado’s come in several varieties and the color will be different based on the type.

• Firmness tells it all. If an avocado is too firm to the touch, then it hasn’t ripen. If you’re going to need them several days in advance, these may be a good choice as they ripen well sitting on the counter. If they’re super soft, they’re either too ripe or will need to be used immediately. Gently putting pressure on the fruit is all that is needed, don’t squeeze them too hard.

• If you have an avocado that has not ripened, don’t store it in the fridge. Chilling avocados halts the ripening process. Instead put it in a paper bag on the window sill and it will help it ripen quicker.

• Once the avocado has reached the desired degree of ripeness you prefer, you can store leftovers in the fridge.

• To optimize their freshness in the fridge, sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and place in a food saver storage bag, with all the air vacuumed out. They’re usually best when used within 3 days of slicing.

• You can even freeze avocados. To do so, blend your avocados with a little lemon juice in a food processor, place in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a few months. Just know that the texture will change once they’ve been frozen.