There’s nothing quite like the excitement of slicing open a perfectly ripe avocado—velvety, green, and ready to spread on toast or mash into a guac.
But we’ve all been there: standing in the kitchen, holding an avocado that feels as hard as a rock, wishing it would magically ripen overnight. Growing up, I never had to worry about this dilemma, thanks to a household tip my grandma passed down that I’ve used for years. It’s a simple method that I still swear by today: wrapping the avocados in newspaper and storing them in a cool, dry place with little to no light.
It might seem too easy, but this trick works like magic…
My grandma always said, “Newspaper keeps everything in balance for the avos.” She was right—wrapping avocados in newspaper creates a mini-climate that encourages ripening. The reason behind this is the ethylene gas that fruits like avocados naturally release.
When wrapped, this gas gets trapped around the fruit, speeding up the ripening process. I’ve found that avocados ripen within two to three days using this method, compared to the usual five to seven days when left out on the counter.
After wrapping your avocados, let them sit, wrapped snugly in their newspaper cocoon, in a cool and dry place like a pantry or a cupboard. The absence of light and heat ensures they ripen evenly without becoming overly soft or spoiled.
Avocados are one of those fruits (yes, they’re technically a fruit!) that are worth the wait. Not only are they packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, but they also offer a good dose of fibre, vitamins, and minerals. A ripe avocado contains nearly 20 different vitamins and minerals, making it one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can add to your diet.
A common mistake I’ve seen people make is putting their unripe avocados in the fridge, thinking they’ll stay fresher longer. While that might work for already ripe avocados, it does the opposite for ones that still need time to soften. Cold temperatures slow down the ripening process, sometimes stopping it altogether. If you want to enjoy your avocados sooner rather than later, the fridge is not your friend.
Once your avocado has ripened, though, feel free to pop it into the fridge to prolong its perfect texture for an extra few days.
Once you’ve gotten the nick of ripening your avocados, you’ll also want to know how to store them properly. For those times when you have a perfectly ripe avocado but aren’t ready to use it just yet simply pop it in the fridge. If you’ve cut into the avocado but didn’t use the entire thing, there are a few tricks to keep the leftover half fresh:
Lemon or lime juice: Squeeze a little citrus juice on the exposed flesh to prevent browning.
Keep the pit in: This helps reduce oxidation on the exposed surface.
Seal it tight: Use an airtight container or plastic wrap to keep air away from the avocado.
Compiled by: Maegan-Leigh Jacobs
First published by Food & Home
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