How To Ripen An Avocado

Have you ever needed an avocado for a recipe (click here for ideas), but the only ones available are rock hard and the furthest things from ripe? Me too.

And, HELLO, when you need an avocado, you need an avocado! 

I know these are first world problems at their prime. And if an unripened avocado is your biggest problem, well then pat yourself on the back, because you are doing just fine. 

But, if you are in need of a ripe avocado, I have a trick for you. 

What you'll need:

1 brown bag

1 unripened avocado

1 banana* 

Directions:

1. In a brown paper bag, place one avocado and one banana and close with a chip clip or just roll the top of the bag down to close

2. Give yourself a day or two for ripening 

3. Depending on what you need the avocado for, you may wish to give yourself an extra day, but check to be sure you haven't not left the avocado too long

*this will work fine even without a banana, but it will be faster with one

Avocado + banana together at last:

Ripened perfection:

I know the pain of wanting guacamole and not having a good avocado; it's tough. 

Word to the wise:

You can speed up the ripening process, but it comes with a cost.  

Each banana gives off Ethylene gas, which will not only ripen the avocado, but the other bananas in the bag as well.  So multiple bananas creates a higher concentration of ethylene gas which will quicken the ripening of the avocado, but leave you with a bag of super brown bananas.  

My suggestion: if you have rock-hard avocados that you want to soften ASAP, you should coordinate your menu planning so that you make your avocado dish and banana bread with your newly-ripened avocados.  Waste not, want not!  And, who doesn't want banana bread?

Also, a way to determine if the avocado is ripe is to check the "stem" -- simply remove the little topper stem to reveal the color underneath.  A bright color similar to what's shown below indicates a ripe avocado: 

Have you ever tried this ripening method? What's your favorite dish to make with an avocado?  

xx,

The Future Mrs. Wolf