A step by step guide to help you get the best our of your avocado.
Selecting your avocado
Hass avocados change colour as they ripen so choose an avocado based on its colour rather than squeezing as this causes bruising. Avoid extremely soft avocados with very dark skin or dented or flattened areas.
How to ripen and store your avocado
Avocados will ripen in your fruit bowl but to accelerate the process, pop in a brown paper bag and include a banana or apple. These other fruits give off ethylene gas, which is a ripening agent.
For pre-ripened avocados (those which have been treated with ethylene or other ripening agent to speed the ripening process), simply place in your fruit bowl to finish off the ripening process which should occur in 2 – 3 days.
Ripe fruit can be refrigerated uncut until eaten, but limit this to two or three days.
Cut avocado can be sprinkled with lemon juice, lime juice or white vinegar and placed in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They should be eaten within a day or two. If the top layer goes brown, you can simply scrape this off and you’ll find the flesh underneath is perfectly fine.
Avocado can be pureed with lemon juice and frozen for up to four months.