Firm, but not too firm. Black, but not too black. Bumpy, but not too bumpy. Picking a perfectly ripe avocado in the grocery store might leave you feeling like Goldilocks in the produce aisle, but don’t let that stop you from finding one that’s just right. 

Unripe avocados are smooth and bright green on the exterior. An avocado that’s ready to eat is one that’s got nearly black skin with very little or no green shade left to it. The skin should also be bumpy, but not dimpled or cratered. Finally, you’ll know an avocado is ripe when you squeeze it, and it gives way just a little bit. Tennis ball texture is perfect, golf ball texture is unripe, and if it feels like squeezing a water balloon, just leave it alone. 

Depending on your storage method, whole, ripe avocados will last a few days before making a left turn directly into Mushville. After you’ve cut them, the oxidation process will begin immediately — that’s what makes cut avocados start to turn brown — but it doesn’t mean they’ve gone bad. Whether cut or uncut, proper storage methods will help you make the most out of your avocados. 

How to store whole avocados

If you’ve bought perfectly ripe avocados, you have one of two options. You can either eat them right away (or within a day of bringing them home) or you can put the avocado in the fridge and give yourself a few days of wiggle room. 

"Store avocados in ambient room temperature (between 65-75 degrees) and in a well-ventilated area, out of plastic bags and away from other fruits that ripen,” recommends Andrew McGregor, the Senior Director of Produce at Misfits Market. “Moving ripe and ready-to-eat avocados from the counter and into the refrigerator can slow the ripening process and provide another two to three days of shelf life."

Buying under ripe avocados is a good strategy when you need to give yourself some time to eat them — like when you’re only planning to go food shopping once a week. Avocados will continue to ripen on the counter for four to five days after you bring them home before they start to become overripe. If you want to speed up that process, you can try storing them with other fruits. “Avocados are sensitive to warm temperatures and to ethylene,” says McGregor, “Storing ripe avocados in close proximity to bananas, tomatoes, and other ethylene-producing fruits will likely excite or motivate their ripening process."

Of course, if you want to slow the ripening process, keep them away from fruits like bananas and tomatoes, and definitely keep them in the refrigerator where the lower temperatures will slow their ripening down. 

How to store cut avocados

If your avocado is ripe but you don’t plan on using all of it, worry not. Cutting into an avocado isn’t a death knell for avocado freshness. You just need to make sure you’re storing the remaining fruit appropriately. 

If you plan on using half your avocado, make sure you use the side without the pit. Keeping the pit in the remaining half means there’s less surface area exposed to oxygen, which can help delay some oxidation longer. Regardless of the pit, all cut avocados should be stored in the refrigerator. 

If you’re saving a cut avocado in the fridge to enjoy later, you’ll want to treat it with something to slow down the browning process of the exposed flesh. One way to do this is by squeezing on a little lemon or lime juice. Because citric acid slows the oxidation process, the juice will help protect the exposed flesh from unpleasant browning. Sealing it in plastic wrap will also aid in slowing the browning. Just make sure it’s pressed close to the avocado flesh and wrapped tightly. 

If you’re prepping a dish with avocado ahead of time, citric acid is your best bet for delaying browning. Dishes like guacamole likely already call for lime juice, and a little lemon juice over avocado slices will keep the fruit bright without changing the flavor too much. For presentation’s sake, you’ll want to juice up your avocados so they stay green — but know that any brown spots that do appear are safe to eat. 

If you find yourself with more ripe avocados than you could possibly know what to do with, you can always cut them up and freeze them. Slice and dice the avocados to your liking, then spread them on a sheet tray to freeze avocados before transferring them to a freezer-safe container. This first step will stop them from sticking together in one giant mass when you’re ready to use them. Frozen avocado should be used within four to six months for peak freshness, and can be used in smoothies or thawed at room temperature and used just like fresh avocados. Frozen avocados will be slightly more mush when thawed, so while you might skip putting them on a salad they’re perfect candidates for smoothies and guacamole.

How to use overripe avocados 

Once avocados are over the hill, you don’t need to toss them just yet (as long as they aren’t complete mush).

Overripe avocados that have some browning inside or have gone a little too soft for your liking are great candidates for things like avocado-based dressings, smoothies or brownies — anything that requires them to be totally blended and liquified. Avocados with brown flesh may not look terribly appetizing, but they are still safe to eat. While their flavor may be slightly bitter, it’s unlikely you’ll notice a difference when blended with other ingredients. 

If you’re into DIY hair or skincare, you can also use overripe avocados in hair and face masks. Avocados have lots of vitamins B, C, and E, as well as potassium, folate, and other nutrients that might be moisturizing and rejuvenating. 

Reduce food waste with Mill

No matter how you use your avocados, you’ll be left with the skin and pit. Instead of sending those food scraps to the landfill, where they will emit methane, you can toss whatever is left over from making your guacamole — including an avocado pit — directly into a Mill food recycler. Mill will recycle your food scraps and turn them into dry grounds that can be used in your garden.

Sources:

1. United States Department of Agriculture: “Florida Avocados: Shipping Point and Market Inspection Instructions.” November, 2000. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/AvocadoFloridaInspectionInstructions.pdf

2. Misfits Market: “Cut your grocery bill and your food waste.” https://www.misfitsmarket.com/?redirect=true&promo=240610X4 

3. Misfits Market: “Our Favorite Produce Storage Hacks.” April 13, 2022. https://blog.misfitsmarket.com/our-favorite-produce-storage-hacks/

4. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: “Avocados.” April, 2022. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/avocados/