What a ripe avocado. How to tell if an avocado is ripe

With any storage method, you need to remember: the riper the exotic, the shorter its shelf life.

Cut

Cut fruits are stored as follows:

• sprinkle slices of pulp with lemon or lime juice so that it does not darken;
• join the halves, wrap cling film or put in a bag
• send to the refrigerator (not the freezer).

Exot will retain color and taste for three to four days. The darkened areas of the pulp are cut to a clean layer. The product can be eaten.

Is freezing possible?

The short shelf life of ripe fruits makes topical issue Is it possible to freeze an avocado.
Freezing is the only way to keep exotics for a long time. However, this method is not for whole specimens: after defrosting, the pulp will turn into mashed potatoes. It will be difficult to separate it from the peel.

Therefore, they act as follows:

1. The washed dried exotic is peeled, cut in half, and the bone is removed.
2. The pulp is ground with a blender or cut into very small pieces.
3. Add lemon (or lime) juice to the puree or sprinkle pieces on them so that they do not darken.
4. Puree or pieces are laid out in molds. Suitable containers for making ice or small pastries.
5. The molds are sent to the freezer.

Under such conditions, exotic is stored for six months.

How to help ripen

In an unripe exotic, the flesh is hard, tasteless, with bitterness and a tart note. Reminds me of a pumpkin or.
If the purchased fruits are just that, it is useful to know how to speed up the ripening of avocados at home.
Can you ripen an avocado? different ways- quickly and slowly.

Warming up in the oven

The oven allows you to get ripe fruit faster:

1. The fruits are washed and dried.
2. wrap around culinary foil(each separately), placed on a baking sheet.
3. The oven is heated to 190-200 ° C, turned off.
4. A baking sheet with exotics is sent to the switched off oven, closed.
5. After 9-11 minutes they are pulled out.

The cooled fruits are unwrapped, peeled, and the stone is removed. Then proceed as usual.
A gas or electric oven is suitable.

Speedy in the microwave

Most fast way ripen avocado - microwave:

1. The fruit is washed and dried.
2. Prick with a knife in several places to the bone. This is necessary so that, due to the whole peel, the heated flesh that has increased in volume does not break. You can peel it and cut into pieces.
3. Place in a resealable microwaveable dish.
4. Warm up under the lid at the maximum mode for 30 seconds. For "stone" specimens, the timer is set for a minute, that is, twice as long.
5. Take out, cool, peel.

You need to be aware that this method for a fruit is like shock therapy for a person. In a whole fruit, the taste and aroma will change, some beneficial features. Chopped will lose a lot of juice.

Fruits ripened in this way are suitable as ingredients for dishes, but not an independent delicacy.
If you want to feel the natural taste of avocados, heat treatment (microwave or oven) is not used to ripen the fruit.

In a paper bag

If fruits are not urgently needed, it is better to ripen them in a gentle way - in a paper bag.

Here's how an avocado is stored for it to ripen:

1. An opaque paper bag is filled with fruits and avocados.
2. Close tightly so that light or the sun does not penetrate.
3. Storage temperature +18-23°С. Refrigerator or cool basement is prohibited.
4. After two or three days, the condition of the avocado is checked so that it does not overripe.

As neighbors in the package, any fruits will help: apples, pears, but the ideal companion is a banana. He is the closest relative to the avocado. A prerequisite - fruits need ripe. From immature more harm than good.

If other fruits are not available, the following solutions are possible:

• a bag of avocados covered with flour; in two or three days should ripen;
• in a bag, it can ripen on its own, but after five to six days.

The "batch" method is based on the fact that ethylene is released by ripe fruits. This gas helps other exotics ripen faster, including avocados. A tightly sealed bag holds it in place, promoting maturation.

The method is not fast, but allows you to ripen avocados, while retaining the beneficial properties, taste and aroma.

in the newspaper

If a paper bag is not available, newspaper or opaque paper will do. Each fruit is wrapped and placed in a box. It is placed under the battery, on a kitchen cabinet, in a heated turned off oven or other warm place.
After two or three days, the fruits need to be checked: they can ripen.
With any method of ripening indoors, the humidity should not be excessive. Otherwise, the fruit will start to rot. The ideal place is a darkened mezzanine shelf

Make an alligator pear ripe in foil

Foil is used in different ways.

If the fruit needs to ripen today for today, use the oven (gas or electric):

1. Turn on the oven to warm up - up to 200-210 ° C.
2. Each exotic is wrapped with two layers of foil so that there are no uncovered areas.
3. The fruits are loaded into a hot turned off (!) oven.
4. After 9-11 minutes, they are taken out.
5. Cooled fruits are peeled.

This method, like any heat treatment, changes the taste of the avocado.
If there is no hurry, wrap the avocado in foil and leave to ripen in the dark at room temperature for two to three days. All properties will be saved.

With the help of boiling water

A quick way to ripen and soften an avocado is to pour boiling water over it:

• peel the skin;
• cut a bone;
• cut the pulp into slices or other pieces;
• put in a sieve or colander, dip in boiling water for one and a half to two minutes.

Chilled pulp is used as an ingredient for other dishes.

Cut

If the cut fruit turned out to be green, it is easy to ripen in the refrigerator. But you need to act quickly, until the flesh has darkened:

• Sprinkle slices of halves with lemon or lime juice: this helps to preserve the natural color of the pulp.
• Connect the halves, leave the bone.
• Wrap the fruit in cling film (a new plastic bag will also work).
• Can be additionally placed in a plastic bowl with a lid.
• Send to the fruit compartment for ripening.

The temperature is required not lower than + 5 ° С, otherwise the ripening process will not start.
Periodically, you need to check the condition of the fetus by pressing on the peel. If a dent appears, it's ready.
A couple of days is usually enough to soften the pulp.
Leaving cut avocados to ripen at room temperature is useless - spoilage will begin faster.

Is it possible to eat unripe

It is better not to eat an unripe avocado - it is tasteless and dangerous. The pulp of unripe exotics is stuffed with toxins, which decompose when exotics ripen. The peel is especially poisonous.
If you want to know what it tastes like, it is permissible to try a piece or two. Severe poisoning is recorded in people who overeat green fruits. This is in a favorable situation.

Conclusion

The abundance of exporting countries allows you to enjoy the exotic all year round. That is, the avocado season for Russia goes on non-stop: fruits from any country can always be found in the supermarket.

Knowing the signs of a ripe exotic, you can choose it right in the store.
And if a green exotic is caught, it will not be difficult to ripen it at home. How to make avocados soft, everyone decides for himself. For a minute or a week, sparing or extreme - it depends on the circumstances.
Heat treatment helps to ripen the fruits faster. But they won't taste the same. It's best not to rush if possible. After all, fruits are brought to Russia from afar, they are not cheap.

Avocado can be safely called a miracle of nature. Luxurious in its composition, the fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals, monounsaturated fatty acids. But the maximum benefit can only be extracted from a perfectly ripe fruit. Let's try to figure out what you need to pay attention to when choosing an avocado.

Ripe avocado taste

Despite the fact that avocado appeared on the shelves of our stores for a long time, few know it. real taste. Ripe fruits have a pulp of tender, almost creamy consistency, reminiscent of palatability butter with addition pumpkin seeds or nuts. Unfortunately, more often you can find unripe fruits that look more like an unripe pear or pumpkin.

How to choose an avocado

When choosing an avocado, focus on several factors at once. Appearance, skin thickness, flesh color, of course, may be different depending on the variety. But the basic rules are still general.

Leather

On closer inspection, note that there are no cracks or dark spots on the surface of the skin. After making sure that they are absent, look at the color of the fruit.

• A light green hue indicates that the avocado needs to ripen. Such a fruit will have to lie on your windowsill for at least five days.
• Moderately green fruit you can eat after three days.
• A rich green fruit can only lie until the next day.
• If the avocado has a green-brown color, then it is ready for use immediately after purchase.
• But the fruits of a very dark color are not worth buying. This condition of the skin indicates that the avocado is already overripe, and the concentration useful substances it is already much lower than the maximum. AT last resort you can use it right there for making sauces or purees. It is no longer possible to cut such a fruit into slices.

pulp

To get a better idea of ​​how ready an avocado is to eat, press it with your fingers. Ripe fruit should seem to be springy, but not retain any traces of pressure. If the skin does not sag at all, you are looking at an immature fetus. Excessive softness, on the contrary, indicates overripeness. In a ripe fruit, the flesh should be bright green or yellow (depending on the variety).

cutting

Another method for determining the maturity of an avocado is by the stem. Gently press your finger on the top of the fruit where you find the cutting growth site. unripe fruit does not respond to pressing. If the place where the cutting is attached is a little springy, the avocado is ready to eat. The resulting dent indicates the overripeness of the fetus. You can tear off the stem. A ripe avocado will have bright green flesh underneath.

How to store avocado

Place a ripe avocado in the refrigerator after purchasing. The best place- top shelf. Avoid touching the back wall to prevent freezing. In this form, the fruit can lie from two to five days. If you still purchased a not quite ripe fruit, leave it at room temperature, let it lie down for several days before ripening. You can speed up the process by placing avocados next to bananas or apples. These fruits release ethylene gas, which helps avocados ripen faster. At the same time, check the fruits more often so as not to miss the moment of full ripening and not spoil the fruit.

Choosing a ripe avocado in a supermarket or store is not difficult. Avocado is one of the fruits that can ripen at home. Therefore, if you chose a green avocado, then it's okay, he will be able to ripen on his own at your home. But how do you know when it's ripe and ready to eat? There are two most popular methods that we will consider.

Avocado pulp is soft and has a delicate, buttery texture. After the purchase, the degree of maturity of the fruit is determined by its cut. A ripe avocado has a rich flavor, buttery texture, and the pit is easily separated from the pulp.

The skin and color of avocados can also vary depending on the variety. Some types of fruits have a smooth surface, others are wrinkled or with pimples. Regardless appearance and skin color, it is recommended to eat only ripe fruits. Unripe or over-ripe fruit will have flavor characteristics that are off-putting.

not ripe avocado

To maturity: 5-6 days

light green color.When pressed, the avocado is firm and does not squash. If you bought such a fruit, then it will ripen perfectly at room temperature. Put it on a windowsill or somewhere where it will get more daylight and check the fruit after a few days.

To ripeness 1-2 days.

A moderately green and slightly mushy avocado is almost ready to eat. When cut, the bone will still be difficult to remove. If you cut an avocado like this, then cover it with a film and let it stand for 1 day at room temperature.

Ripe avocado

Ready to use.

Dark green color. But the color different varieties avocado may vary. Do not press hard on the fruit, if you feel that it is soft and squeezed, then the avocado is ripe and you can eat it. If you want to consume such a fruit in a couple of days, then put it in the refrigerator.

overripe avocado

Overdue.

Very dark green color, closer to black. An overripe avocado is very soft to the touch and may have dents. Such a fruit may emit an unpleasant smell of a spoiled product. An overripe avocado may have black bruises on the inside when cut. It is better to get rid of such an avocado and not eat it.

The color of an avocado depends on its variety and can be almost any shade from dark green to brown. Sometimes there are almost black fruits - they are the most delicious variety avocado. The ripeness of this variety of avocado is determined by its softness.

Haas Avocado (dark variety)

Method 2. Choice by cutting

When choosing a ripe avocado, pay attention to the stem (stalk) of the fruit. If there is a "tail" on the fruit, then remove it to see the color of the cutting.

It should be light brown in color. If it has a black color, it means that the avocado is overripe and it is better not to use such a fruit.

Signs of a ripe avocado

• Ripe avocados have a darker skin color than unripe ones.
• the skin of a ripe fruit is evenly colored;
• a good avocado is always elastic (if you press on its skin, then there will be no dent);
• a bright green stalk is considered a sign of a ripe avocado;
• the aroma of a ripe avocado can be felt even through a thick skin;
• if you shake the avocado and its stone makes a characteristic knock, then the fruit is fully ripe.

The shape of an avocado can vary. Some varieties have almost round fruits, others are more like a pear. Taste properties different types practically do not differ. Pronounced differences are present only in ripe, unripe or overripe fruits.

Popular Avocado Varieties

Which avocado is not worth buying

The size of an avocado should not be taken into account when buying it. Some varieties of this fruit, which are distinguished by a rather large fruit size, have a stone of no less impressive size. As a result of such a purchase, you can get much less pulp than from a small fruit. Avocado pit can be oblong or round.

Signs of avocado, which is not recommended to buy:

• if there are defects on the surface of the fruit (dents, cracks and other damage), then it is better to refuse the purchase;
• if, when pressed on the skin of an avocado, dents remain on it, then this is a sign of an overripe fruit;
• dents on an avocado may indicate the beginning of the process of decay inside the fruit;
• too hard avocado surface can only be in unripe fruits;
• the brown stalk of the fruit is a sign of its overripeness;
• yellow-green stalk can only be in an unripe fetus;
• if the avocado does not emit a characteristic aroma, then most likely it is unripe or grown using chemicals;
• there should be no traces of sticky substances or wax on the surface of the fruit (sometimes special paraffin-based formulations are used to maintain the presentation of the fruit, which is quite problematic to wash off);
• if you shake the avocado lightly and at the same time the stone does not knock, then the fruit is unripe.

An unripe avocado ripens at home within 4-6 days. Sometimes such fruits are specially bought in advance if they are not planned to be eaten immediately. The fruit can ripen only at room temperature, if it is put in the refrigerator, then the ripening process will not occur.

Video "How to choose an avocado"

Avocado is a favorite fruit of many, but it is not always easy to find it, and even more difficult to choose - they often lie on the shelves unripe and hard. And yet this is not a reason to deny yourself pleasure, but just a matter of time and patience. We learned from the owner of the Avocado Point cafe about how to choose avocados, what varieties are there, which ones you should pay attention to, and, of course, how an avocado should ripen correctly.

How to choose?

Elina Osipova

owner of the Avocado Point bar chain

The fruit of an avocado is primarily a berry, and the ripeness of any berry is determined by how easily it can be picked from the bush. As long as we in Russia do not pick avocados from trees and bring all the fruits in a semi-finished state, there are a couple simple ways determine the ripeness of an avocado: softness gives us the first message of ripeness, but we should not rely on this alone, as even moderately soft can be underripe, overripe and, worse, rotten inside.

When buying, it is important to look at the stalk, it should separate easily enough, but at the same time not fall off on its own - this is the first sign that the avocado is rotten. The color of the fruit under the handle is also important, it should be a sure light yellow, a little greenish, the main thing is not dark, otherwise it will be dark inside.

What varieties are there?

Avocado is the star among fruits, there are hundreds of varieties different forms, sizes, colors, flavors and textures. The most popular and present on the shelves:

"Hass"- black skin, round shape and small stone size, delicate buttery texture, yellow flesh and slightly nutty flavor, ideal for guacamole. "Hass" is also pleasant because it is easy to transport and it ripens perfectly, rarely spoils and turns black. The most reliable variety. Season - all year round, brought from Kenya, Israel, South Africa, Mexico.

"Fuerte"- green peel, elongated shape, the stone is usually small. This variety has a more grassy taste, is more unstable in ripening, the flesh is white-yellow. Season - summer and autumn.

"Ettinger"- thin green peel, drop-shaped, but a very large stone, this is a significant disadvantage of this variety, because the weight of the fruit is quite large - 200–250 grams, there is little pulp in it, and the stone inside quickly begins to grow white bloom, because of which the fruit itself loses its taste and turns into a potato. Season from September to January.

"Pinkerton"- pimply skin, small bone, yellower at the stone and lighter at the edges, pear-shaped. The skin is easily detached, as in the Hass, and the weight is usually greater. Season - autumn - spring.

There are also more exotic varieties that can be found in markets like Usachevsky and Danilovsky:

Semil 34- very tasty, oval shape, often looks like a ball, the weight of one fruit is up to a kilogram, and the pure pulp is about 65–70%. It is very important that, despite the fact that the variety is from the hot Dominican Republic, it is frost-resistant, that is, it can be stored for a long time and nothing will come of it. It has several stages of maturation and this changes the taste. Ready-made "semyl" has a fresh fruity taste, juicy, and it can even be eaten just like that, not very good for guacamole, as it will be watery. However, let it be slightly overripe, and it will be one to one like “hass”, that is, it will become oily, a nutty taste will appear, the flesh will turn bright yellow.

"Royal Black Avocado" from Burma and Vietnam. This variety is very similar to the giant "hass": black dense skin and extraordinary flesh. The shape of an ideal ball and a small stone, this variety produces the most delicious and beautiful guacamole, as the flesh has a canary-yellow color. This variety can occasionally be found on the shelves in specialized stores. exotic fruits. The season is very short - December - March.

What to do with the unripe?

Finding a ripe avocado on the shelves is not always easy - the reality is that most often we buy a hard avocado and wait for it to ripen. Question: how to do it faster? There are a lot of videos on the Internet on how to quickly ripen avocados: someone bakes in foil, someone puts them together with bananas. My method does not guarantee two hours of ripening, but it will definitely not ruin the taste and texture, which, in my opinion, is the most important thing.

In contemporary collections recipes quite often there are recipes in which the main ingredient is avocado. And everything is so beautifully painted that even now take it and cook it, if it weren’t for the “but”. How to choose ripe avocado for some reason they don't write in these books. But in vain, because this fruit is exotic for our latitudes and not everyone knows how it should look when ripe.

What should be a ripe avocado fruit?

1. Let's start choosing an avocado with a visual inspection. We carefully examine the fruit for dents, cracks, dark spots and other defects. We pay attention to the color of the peel, usually fruits with a darker color, more ripe. But do not forget about the variety of varieties, the color of the peel of an avocado can vary from dark green to brown. If you see several varieties of avocados on the counter and find it difficult to choose, you should not take the largest fruit. Avocados of some varieties (by the way, their peel is dark green in color) are distinguished by a rather large bone. And choosing this big fruit, you will get much less pulp than if you chose a smaller variety of avocados. But it is obvious that it is impossible to choose a ripe avocado fruit, focusing only on how it looks, so let's move on to the next step.
2. Lightly press on the fruit if the fruit bends slightly under the fingers. But it quickly restores its shape, as if springy, then this avocado is ripe. If, after pressing, the fruit does not restore its shape for a long time, then this indicates its overripeness. You can risk acquiring such a fruit only if you are going to put it into action as soon as you bring it home. Why take the risk? Because there is a high probability that such a fruit will be rotten inside. Well, if, pressing on the fruit, you did not find any reaction on his part - the fruit is hard, does not spring under your fingers, then you have an unripe avocado in front of you. Of course, you can buy it, but only if you want to enjoy its taste 2-4 days after purchase. That is how long it will take to ripen at home.
3. The pit will also help us determine the ripeness of an avocado. No, it does not need to be removed directly in the store and subjected to a thorough inspection. You just need to gently shake the fruit near your ears. Did you hear the bone tapping lightly? Okay, that's a ripe avocado. If the bone remains deaf to your efforts, then this fruit is still green, unripe.
4. You can also determine the ripeness of an avocado by tearing off its stem. If the place under it is brown, then you have an overripe fruit in your hands. The yellow-green color, coupled with the firmness of the fruit, indicates the immaturity of the avocado. Well, if the color of the trace is green and bright, and even the juice appears when pressed lightly, then this fruit is ripe.

How to store avocados?

Ripe avocados can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-5 days. You just need to make sure that this fruit lies away from bananas and apples. The top shelf of the refrigerator compartment is best suited for storing avocados, provided that the fruit does not come into contact with the back wall of the refrigerator - it will freeze.

We figured out how to choose the right avocado, but what to do if you only brought it home unripe (all fruits, as one, were tough) fruit? You will have to abandon the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bbiting the fruit immediately and leave it to ripen. To do this, the fruit must be put in a paper bag or wrapped in paper towels and stored at room temperature, in a dark place, for example, under the bed. Depending on the initial ripeness of the fruit, its ripening will take from 2 to 10 days. True, the process can be accelerated by placing bananas or apples in a bag of avocados. The ethylene gas that these fruits emit will help avocados ripen faster. But in both cases, do not forget to check how your avocado is doing, otherwise you risk missing the moment of maturity and getting a rotten fruit.