How to Know an Avocado Is Fresh

A ripe avocado will give slightly when you push on the outside of the skin.

Avocados come in a number of different varieties. According to the University of California, there are more than 1,000 different varieties of avocados grown worldwide. The most common varieties found in U.S. markets are the Florida avocado, which is about the size of a mango and has a light green flesh, and the California Hass avocado, which has a dark green skin and is the size of a pear. Fresh avocados are available in three stages: firm, breaking and ripe. Knowing which one to choose for your needs will help you create a better dish.

Instructions

1. Look at the skin color of the avocado. Determine its freshness by seeing how dark the skin is; a light, pale green color means that it was just recently picked and has not yet begin to ripen; a slightly darker green means that it is breaking and is usable but not yet fully ripe; and a dark green avocado indicates that the avocado is ripe and ready to use. Avoid black-skinned avocados as those have begun to go bad.

2. Place the avocado in the palm of your hand and press against the flesh gently with the middle of your fingers; do not use your fingertips, as this could bruise the avocado. Notice how much give the flesh has when you press against it; an avocado that has no give when pressed is not yet ripe; an avocado that feels softer to the touch but does not yield to pressure is in the breaking stage; and a ripe avocado with yield to the applied pressure without feeling mushy. Avoid mushy avocados as they are overripe and have begun to rot.

3. Cut open the avocado using a knife. Cut a straight line around the longest part of the avocado -- from top to bottom and back around the other side. Look at the flesh of the avocado; a pale green flesh is still unripe; a bright green flesh has just begun to ripen; and a slightly darker green flesh is ripe and ready to use. Throw away any avocados that have black spots inside, as they have begun to rot.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy avocados according to when you plan to use them. If you are making the dish that day, choose dark green avocados that yield somewhat when gently pressed. If you are planning to make your dish in a couple of days, purchase firm avocados and allow them to ripen on a countertop in a warm location.

• Never put avocados in a refrigerator to ripen; the cold retards the ripening process.

References

• California Avocado Commission: How to Choose and Use
• Hass Avocados: Pick & Buy Hass Avocados
• AvocadoSource.com: Variety List