We’ve covered how to grow an avocado tree from its pit, how to cut an avocado safely, a TikTok trick for how to keep a cut avocado from browning quite so fast, and even how to freeze an avocado to help extend its life. But we haven’t yet discussed how to make avocado soft so you can savor it sooner. Well now’s the time! Ahead are the best—and worst—solutions for how to soften avocados fast.
The Stages of Avocado Ripeness
There are five stages that the fruit goes through as it ripens, according to the experts at California Avocados. Be patient and you’ll have an option for how to soften avocados naturally.
Hard: Green to very dark green in color; very hard texture.Pre-Conditioned: About three days away from ready if stored at room temp.Breaking: About two days away from ready if stored at room temp; yields slightly when squeezed.Firm Ripe: Fully ripe the next day or so if stored at room temp; yields when squeezed.Ripe: Ready to use now and should remain in good condition for two to three days or so if stored at room temp; yields easily when squeezed.
The majority of supermarkets sell avocados at different points along this scale. When you aim to use the fresh avocado in two or three days, your sweet spot is to purchase them around stage three. For use on the same day, seek out an avocado at stage five. To check an avocado for ripeness at the store, besides squeezing, you can peel back the small stem at the top of the avocado. If it lifts away easily and the flesh appears green underneath, the avocado should be at or near ideal ripeness and ready to devour. If the stem doesn’t lift off, it’s not yet ripe (but you can purchase it and use one of the strategies below for how to soften an avocado). If the flesh under the stem is brown, the fruit is likely overripe or may have brown-spotted flesh; neither of which are ideal.
How to Soften an Avocado 4 Ways
If your produce section only has rock-hard avocados, there are four legit options for how to make avocado soft a little faster than it might do under usual countertop conditions.
How to Soften Avocados in a Paper Bag
Using a small brown bag (hat tip to school lunch!), here’s how to make avocado soft in 48 to 72 hours.
Place hard avocados in a paper bag and fold or roll down the top to close the bag.Check for ripeness daily by gently squeezing the fruit. Use once the avocado yields slightly when you give it a squeeze, usually within two or three days.
How to Soften Avocados Near Gas-Producing Produce
To speed up the process even more, round up an apple, banana, or kiwi; each of these fruits produces ethylene gas as it ripens, as does avocado. Ethylene is a natural plant hormone that triggers produce to ripen faster. More ethylene; quicker ripening! Using a small brown bag, here’s how to ripen an avocado overnight or within 48 hours:
In a paper bag, place hard avocados and a banana, kiwi, red delicious apple, or golden delicious apple (those two varieties produce more ethylene than other apple varieties). Fold or roll down the top to close the bag. Check for ripeness daily by gently squeezing the fruit. Use once the avocado yields slightly when you give it a squeeze, usually within one or two days.
How to Soften Avocados Using Sunlight
No ethylene-strong fruit handy? Ripen an avocado just like it would while on a tree, using sunlight. Just like all of these approaches, this method for how to soften avocados faster is recommended by the experts at Avocados from Mexico.
Place hard avocados on a countertop in direct sunlight. The warmer temperature should help speed up the natural ripening of the avocados.Check for ripeness daily by gently squeezing the fruit. Use once the avocado yields slightly when you give it a squeeze, usually within two or three days.
How to Soften Avocados After It’s Been Cut
If you slice into an avocado and realize it’s still under-ripe, keep the pit in its original position and follow these steps for how to soften an avocado.
Rub the flesh of each half of an avocado with lemon or lime juice.Place the avocado halves back together (with the pit in the middle) and squeeze it firmly to seal each side together as much as possible.Wrap the avocado tightly in a layer or two of plastic wrap.Refrigerate the wrapped avocado and check it daily. Use once the avocado yields slightly when you give it a squeeze.
Two Hacks For Softening an Avocado Experts Don’t Recommend
To follow the lead of certain social media cooks, to try these methods for how to soften avocados, you would…
Ripen an avocado in the microwave: Slice an avocado in half, pit the avocado, then wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap. You’d then microwave the avocado in 30-second intervals until the fruit is soft enough to use. To halt the cooking process, dunk the microwaved avocados in a bowl of ice water.Ripen an avocado in the oven: Preheat the oven to 200°F. Wrap a whole avocado in foil and bake until the avocado is soft enough to use, checking its softness level every 10 minutes.
Produce pros from Avocados From Mexico and California Avocados agree that these are two popular cooking hacks for how to make avocado soft that you shouldn’t try if you want to maintain the flavor and texture of the fruit you know and love. If all else fails, know that there’s nothing unhealthy or unsafe about eating an unripe avocado. It just might not be as rich in flavor or creamy in consistency as usual.
