How to ripen avocados: 5 tricks that may work

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Avocados are a type of fruit that comes from the avocado tree, known as Persea americana. If they are ripe, they will have a creamy texture with a mild nutty flavour. But you don't always find ripe avocados in the market. They can be bright green in colour and very hard. If you don't have ripe avocados, it will be hard to slice or mash them and add to salads, sandwiches, or toast. They can also be topped with an egg for a nutritious breakfast or added to smoothies. After all, they have healthy fats and nutrients needed by our body. So, if you are stuck with unripe avocados, try these tips to ripen avocados at home.

What are the health benefits of avocados?

Avocados are packed with nutrients like vitamins E, K, C, and B6, as well as potassium and magnesium, says nutritionist Tanya Mehra. Here are some of the avocado benefits:

They are rich in monounsaturated fats, which are good for heart health.

They are high in dietary fiber, which is known for aiding digestion.

The fruit contains antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, which is detrimental to health.

The fruit consists of zeaxanthin and lutein, which are phytochemicals found in eye tissue. They offer protection and help minimise eye damage, including from ultraviolet rays.

What are the ways to ripen avocados?

Ripe avocados should be soft. If they are hard or squishy, it means they are either raw or overripe. Here are some avocado ripening methods you can use at home!

1. Keep them warm

Place avocados in a bowl and store in a warm place, suggests the expert. This is a natural method to ripen the fruit, but it is a slow process. It might take a few days or even a week for the avocados to ripen fully.

2. Use a paper bag

Avocados produce ethylene gas, a plant hormone that plays a key role in inducing the ripening process for many fruits. Surrounding an avocado with air full of ethylene gas can increase its ethylene production and speed up the ripening process, as per a research published in the Frontiers In Plant Science in 2019. So, putting avocado in a paper bag can trap ethylene and help it ripen faster.

3. Store avocado with banana

Banana is a climacteric fruit, according to research published in the International Journal of Food Science in 2019. This means bananas can continue ripening after being separated from the plant. The ethylene gas this fruit emits can speed up ripening, says Mehra. All you have to do is keep raw avocado with bananas, and wait for at least two days.

4. Put it in uncooked rice

Put avocado with uncooked rice in a container. Make sure the fruit is nicely covered with the rice. This helps to build an ethylene gas trap that will help to ripen avocados in about two to three days.

5. Use a cotton cloth

Use a clean cotton cloth to ripen avocados. Put the washed and dried cloth on a flat surface and place the avocados on top. Space them out then cover the avocados with another piece of clean cloth. This will also take a few days to ripen the fruit.

Once you have ripened avocados, use these avocado recipes to satiate your taste buds!

Does boiling or heating in a microwave ripen avocado?

Heating avocados in the microwave or oven does not truly ripen them. These methods can soften the fruit, but they don't develop the same flavours or textures as naturally ripening avocados, says Mehra. Essentially, heat can make avocados softer quickly but might alter their taste and overall. If you want to try the microwave method, pierce the avocado with a fork, wrap it in microwave-safe plastic, and heat it on high for 30-second intervals until soft. This is a quick fix, but can also change the taste and texture.

Avocados offer numerous health benefits, and that's why the fruit is used in salads, smoothies and dips. But if you end up with raw avocados, you can try paper bag method or keep them with bananas to ripen them and enjoy them.