How to determine the ripeness of avocados?

Hearty and vitamin-rich exotic fruit has long been loved in our kitchen. However, until now, many are wondering how to choose a good tasty avocado, so as not to be disappointed and prepare the intended dish. How to determine the ripeness of avocados when buying - we will consider further.

Why are people often faced with buying stiff unripe fruits or vice versa - rotten persian fruits? The thing is that the oily flesh of the avocado is very sensitive and does not last long. The fruits are harvested unripe, after which they reach at room temperature. It is quite difficult to create optimal storage conditions for the fruit, so the fruit’s shelf life is very short: a hard avocado can become spoiled today a couple of days ago. So that the purchase does not have to be thrown away, and the pulp brings only benefit to the body, you need to learn how to choose good avocado fruits.

How to distinguish spoiled avocado?

It is difficult to understand by eye whether a mature avocado is on the counter, and sellers, unfortunately, are not always honest if the product is of poor quality. Here are some suggestions for choosing the right product:

1. The appearance of the peel. The peel of the avocado should be intact, without dents or scratches. It should not have traces of mold or wet secretions. In some varieties, the skin is smooth and shiny, in others it is embossed and wrinkled.
2. Elasticity of the fetus. A good avocado is pretty dense. It can be gently squeezed - and the skin will restore shape. If you squeeze an avocado between your palms, it should resemble a ball with moderate pressure. If dents remain on the peel, it means that the flesh is already loose and such a fruit can simply be "not brought" to your table.
3. Type of cuttings. A small stalk may remain at the thin pole of the fetus, it must be torn off. It’s good when this tail is not too juicy, but not too dry. The space under it should be white or greenish. If the planting point is dark or brown, the fruit is already bad. Even worse, if at this pole the avocado is squeezed and tumbled, it means that the fruit has literally deteriorated.
4. Smell. An avocado may not have a pronounced smell or a pleasant grassy-fruity aroma is observed. If the fruit pulls sourness or the smell is like water from under the flowers in a vase - this is an occasion to refuse to buy.

So, if an avocado has a very dark peel with recesses and damage, even has a slight unpleasant odor, easily wrinkles and oozes - you can’t buy it anymore.

Attention! If the avocado has become soft after the purchase, you can still eat it, but you should not buy loose fruits - they will quickly disappear.

If the avocado begins to deteriorate, pay attention to its smell and taste. A spoiled product should not be consumed so that poisoning does not happen. Do not regret throwing an unfit fetus so as not to then throw away even more money for the treatment of digestive disorders.

How to choose ripe fruit for instant cooking

If you stock up on avocados for the future, for example, buying food for a week, then it makes sense to take solid greenish fruits that still lie down without losing their nutritional qualities. When cooking is planned for today or tomorrow, they choose a fruit of perfect ripeness.

Here's the difference between ripe avocados:

1. The peel of the “green” fruit is smoother and glossier, later it begins to dry out until the flesh reaches the desired condition. The color of the peel does not always matter, since in different varieties the norms of its changes differ significantly.However, in most fruits that are brought to us, a light green peel indicates an early fruit, and a darker one indicates a ripe one. Therefore, they take avocados lighter for the future, and “for now” - a dark dried, sometimes slightly wrinkled fruit.
2. The pulp of unripe fruits is still very hard, therefore the fruits are tight to squeeze. On the palate, such an avocado is still unsuitable in dishes, it is bought to withstand. Ripe avocados spring, but do not wrinkle. Choose soft enough fruits.
3. The sound of the bones. Another sign of ripeness of the fetus is a pronounced knocking of a kernel in the bone. In green fruits, it still does not exist, since the kernel has not separated from the walls of the bone, the flesh of this fruit will also be firm, grassy and even tart in taste. In overripe fruits, the sound may be dull or strange, because the flesh changes texture when it deteriorates. In a good avocado with a dense soft core, the bone taps quite a bit when shaken.
4. The stem of an unripe fruit is often green and juicy, as the fruit has been plucked recently. Ready to eat avocados, the tail is already dry, and under it there is a white or bright place. Therefore, dense dark fruits with a greenish handle are bought for storage, and for quick consumption - moderately soft avocados with a dried peel, a pounding bone and sometimes a pronounced fresh smell, without any defects.

Note: There is a very delicious avocado with a dark, almost black crust, which does not indicate its corruption. Take into account all the signs of ripeness in general to choose a suitable fruit.

How to store avocados

If you bought a solid avocado, you need to let it ripen. This is done at room temperature and in the presence of daylight - just put the fruit on the windowsill or leave it on the table for 2-3 days and periodically test. The fruit will not fit in the refrigerator. Cold - on the contrary, it will suspend the transformation processes, keeping the fruit fresh longer.

If you need to quickly bring the avocado to the desired state, you can put it in a paper or plastic bag with bananas or apples. These fruits produce a specific gas that speeds up the ripening. If the avocado "sleeps" with fruit, it can be consumed faster.

Ripe fruits should be immediately refrigerated and kept there for no more than 3 days. It is recommended to sprinkle the incised fruit with lemon juice to prevent the rapid oxidation of the pulp, and store in the refrigerator under a film for no more than 12 hours. Ready meals from avocados will stand in the refrigerator for a maximum of 6-8 hours, but at the same time lose their positive taste. Avocados do not insist, you need to eat dishes with this component immediately.

How to find a delicious avocado

Large wrinkled fruits with a dark crust and whitish flesh have a more delicate sweet-grassy aroma, something similar to the smell of aloe and cacti. They are able to give salads and appetizers a special fresh note, they are also pleasant to eat as a separate dish - a spoon from the peel.

The fruits that are sold with us are well suited to vegetable and fish dishes, but eating them separately is unlikely to be interesting - their flavor is not so pronounced.

Video: how to choose the perfect avocado in the store