What should fresh avocado look like

Stem — Turns out you can find out a lot about the state of an avocado from examining its stem. First, instead of pressing on the side of the avocado and risk bruising it, press down on the area near the stem.

If you leave a dent, the avocado is likely overripe. But if it caves in slightly but retains its shape, the avocado is just ripe enough. Another way to determine ripeness is trying to flick off the stem. Bruising — If the avocado has large bruises, breaks in the skin or areas that are over-soft, avoid buying it!

It is likely overripe, and you might have to toss it as soon as you slice it open. Timing — When you are buying avocados, a good rule of thumb is to think of when you are planning to use them. If you have accidentally bought unripe avocados, worry not! There are things you can do that will speed up the ripening process. If you happen to have a banana at home, place it along with the avocado in a brown paper bag.

Bananas produce ethylene gas, which helps fruits ripen. Check the outer skin of the avocado for any large indentations as this may be a sign that the fruit has been bruised. Step 3 — Gently squeeze without applying your fingertips as this can cause bruising and check the firmness of the avocado.

Firm, unripe fresh avocados will have a bright green color. Firm avocados are perfect for purchasing a few days approx. Store these avocados at room temperature degrees F. Place in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana if you want to speed up the ripening process. Breaking avocados will have a softer feel but will not quite yield to firm gentle pressure.

If cut, the seed will often be difficult to remove and the inside flesh will be firm and difficult to mash. Breaking avocados should take a day or two at room temperature degrees F to ripen. Ripe, ready to eat avocados may have a darker color but color can vary so it is best to go by feel as well as color. Ripe fruit is perfect for that day. Store in the refrigerator if you plan to eat it in a day or two to prevent the fruit from becoming overripe or spoiled.

Overripe fruit will feel very mushy to the touch; it may have deep indentations and have darker yellow or brownish colored flesh throughout the inside of the fruit. For the best eating experience pass on the overripe fruit and enjoy ripe fresh avocados. Learn more about how to tell if an avocado is overripe or unsafe to eat. When it comes to love, timing is everything. Here's your dependable guide to deciding whether or not an avocado is ripe and ready-to-eat.

And if you're looking for the perfect way to add more avocados to your life, here are the 30 Best Avocado Recipes for Every Meal. According to Sidoti, there are two in-store methods to detect a perfectly ripe avocado because sometimes we just don't have a few days to wait to make guacamole. Sometimes cutting into an avocado at home can be risky.

If it's not ripe enough, you've wasted the couple-dollar gem. If it's too ripe you'll be able to tell by the brown color all over it , you are forced to toss it. But wouldn't it be ideal if you could cut into a glowing green avocado every single time? Fortunately, Sidoti has recommended some foolproof at-home methods in an effort to achieve that goal. First, she says to feel for ripeness. The stem trick is one more method for determining if an avocado is ripe.

Simply peel back the small stem cap on the top of the fruit. If the stem comes off easily and you see green, it's good to eat.