How to Ripen Cut Avocado

As avocados ripen, they turn from green to dark brown.

According to the Hass Avocado Board, avocados are ripe and ready to eat when dark in color and yielding to gentle pressure, while unripe avocados are firm, greenish, and difficult to cut. However, the ripening process can continue even after the fruit is cut open. This means that prematurely cut avocado can be kept, rather than thrown away, and allowed to ripen until ready for use. Does this Spark an idea?

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Plastic wrap
Lemon or lime juice, preferably fresh

Instructions

- 1
  
  Sprinkle a small amount of fresh lemon or lime juice onto the exposed, green part of the avocado. This keeps the exposed part of the avocado from browning while the rest of the fruit ripens.
- 2
  
  Place the fruit halves together, lessening the air exposure.
  
  Place the two halves together again, as though the fruit was never cut open.
- 3
  
  Wrap the fruit tightly in clear plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. The length of time before the avocado will be ripe depends on how green it was to begin with, as well as the size of the fruit, the temperature of the refrigerator and other conditions. Check the fruit every day or so until it is soft and ripe enough to eat.