Avocados are a nutritional powerhouse. They’re rich in healthy fats. They’re chock full of vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, vitamin E, and various B vitamins. And one avocado contains twice as much fiber as a bowl of shredded wheat (but without any of the sugar).
But avocados are also expensive. And if you’re like many people, you probably end up throwing them out because they’re overripe when you go to eat them. What a waste of food and money.
Here’s the problem: The common advice that you should eat the avocado when it’s “slightly soft when you squeeze it” is dead wrong.
Yes, a slightly soft avocado is great for making guacamole. But it makes you play a guessing game. What exactly does “slightly soft” mean? And how soft is too soft?
The reality is that if you wait for an avocado to feel soft, it’s already on its way to being overripe and losing its nutritional content. Chances are good that it’s already starting to develop brown spots inside, which means it is oxidizing and starting to turn rancid.
Here’s what to do instead: Do not judge them by firmness; judge them by color.
Buy the avocados when they’re green. Feel free to buy several. You won’t have to throw them out.
Then, as soon as they turn dark (and are still firm), eat as many as you want. That’s when they are perfectly ripe and loaded with nutrients.
Take the ones you don’t eat and immediately put them in the fridge. This slows down further ripening. And it preserves the nutrients.
Try to eat the rest within a day or two. If you can’t eat them that fast, don’t worry. There’s another way to keep them around a lot longer.
Make Them Last for a Full Month
Unfortunately, you really can't freeze a whole avocado, or even slices of fresh avocado. The fruit just can’t stand up to it.
When you thaw an avocado, it compromises the texture and flavor. It gets spongy and watery and unappetizing.
However, there is a way to freeze avocados if you’re concerned they’re getting too ripe. Just mash them up with a fork or potato masher and add a little lemon juice.
Once you have them mashed into a uniform consistency, scoop the mashed fruit into a resealable freezer bag and flatten into an even layer. Squeeze out as much air as possible, seal, and freeze. You can leave them in the freezer for up to 1 month. (Write down the date on the bag with a Sharpie marker.)
To thaw it, put it in the refrigerator overnight. Then use it the next day as a sandwich spread, on toast, or in guacamole.
I don’t recommend making guacamole and then freezing it, as the onions and other ingredients don’t hold up as well in the mixture. Make it after you thaw the frozen avocado.
Using these simple tricks, you’ll have at least a full month to eat those avocados instead of just a couple of days. That means you can buy more at one time, have them around all the time, and you don’t have to worry about throwing them out. Enjoy!