How to choose fresh avocado in the store and accelerate the ripening proccess at home

To enjoy an authentic avocado, you need to know when it is at its peak. Achieving the perfect balance of texture and flavor is an art form that involves a combination of sensory cues, attention, and patience.

In this guide from SSPDaily, we'll look at ways to determine the ripeness of an avocado and offer some techniques and tips.

Here's how to determine the ripeness of this fruit.

Check the color

Look at the color of the avocado's skin. Ripe fruits often have dark, almost black skin. However, this can depend on the variety of avocado, so color is not the only indicator.

Feel the texture

Squeeze the fruit in your palm but do not press with your fingertips as they can damage the fruit. A ripe avocado should be tender when pressed lightly, without leaving a mushy feeling.

Check the stem

If the stem is still attached, this can be a good clue. Separate the small stalk at the top of the avocado. If it comes off easily and there is still green color underneath, the fruit is most likely ripe. If it is brown or difficult to remove, the fruit is overripe or vice versa.

Determine the weight

A ripe avocado is heavy relative to its size. If it feels too light, it may not be ripe yet.

Pay attention to the consistency

If you have several avocados, compare them. Ripe fruits have the same firmness when pressed lightly.

How to bring avocados to ripeness

Remember that avocados ripen at different rates, so if you want to enjoy them over a few days, buy fruits at different stages of ripeness. If you have an unripe avocado and you want to speed up the ripening process, place it in a paper bag with a banana or apple.

These fruits give off ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process. Check the bag daily until the avocado reaches the desired degree of ripeness.

Here are some other ways to speed up its ripening.

Rice

Fill a container with uncooked rice, bury the avocado in it and leave it in the room. Don't forget to check daily.

Baking

This method is the fastest. However, the avocado may not have the same flavor as naturally ripened fruit.

• Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C).
• Wrap the unripe avocados in aluminum foil and place them on a cookie sheet.
• Place them in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes.
• Check regularly to make sure they don't get too soft.

Once the fruit has reached the desired degree of ripeness, move it to the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process until it is ready to eat.