How To Tell When An Avocado Is Ripe
It’s a disappointing experience cutting into an avocado only to discover you jumped the gun and ruined a perfectly good fruit. Had you waited just a few more days, that delicious creamy goodness could have been yours to enjoy! But there’s no point in looking back at opportunities that will never come to fruition. We’ve rounded up the best tips to help you determine when an avocado is ripe and ready for eating. Look for these 3 signs the next time you’re ready to indulge in a healthy and delicious avocado:
Start With The Stem
When determining whether or not your avocado is ripe, it’s always important to start with the stem. Peel it back to reveal the color underneath– this will determine whether the avocado is ripe or not. If the stem won’t budge, don’t force it! An avocado with a stem that’s not ready to come off isn’t ready to be eaten and will probably need a few more days to achieve peak ripeness.
Brown Means No
If you’ve peeled back the stem and are met with the color brown, chances are the insides of your avocado will be brown too. Not only is there a high chance of dark spots on the green flesh of the fruit, but there is also the chance that the entire avocado is overripe and inedible. Unfortunately, brown under the stem means the avocado has been left too long.
Green Means Go
Green under the stem means you’re good to go! An avocado with green or even yellow under its stem is ripe and ready to be enjoyed. However, depending on how you like your avocado’s consistency, waiting a day could result in slightly softer flesh (a few days longer if you’re seeing yellow). For another quick test, give the avocado a light squeeze: If it gives slightly into the pressure, the avocado is definitely ripe and ready to eat.
And remember, don’t judge an avocado by its peel. Different types of avocados are naturally darker or lighter, so the color of an outer peel won’t help to determine whether or not the fruit is ripe. Always check under an avocado’s stem for light colors when you want to check for ripeness!
For more information on Stonehill Produce or avocados, please visit our website!