Clever trick: this is how to tell if an avocado is ripe

You too have probably stood in doubt at the avocado shelf, secretly feeling which avocado is best to choose. Picking out the perfect, ripe avocado is an art in itself. Fortunately, there is a clever trick you can use to filter out the overripe and rock-hard ones.

This doesn’t work

It is quite difficult to tell from the outside of an avocado whether it is ripe, as the color can lead you considerably astray. In fact, there are both brown and green avocado varieties, with considerable differences in terms of ripeness. The Hass avocado, the best known of the bunch, has a brown skin that gets darker as it ripens. But the green variety, such as the Florida or Fuerte avocado, for example, does not discolor much, if at all. No matter how ripe it is.

Also, many people try to find out if an avocado is ripe by squeezing it. If the avocado still feels rock hard, you know right away that it’s not ripe. But after that, it gets a lot trickier. In fact, it can be a real gamble whether it’s perfectly ripe or already too soft. And if you’re unlucky, you end up with a brown, mushy variety. Moreover, all that squeezing causes the avocado to get bruised – not the ideal method either!

As an avocado lover, it’s better to have some other tricks up your sleeve to check if this fruit is ripe.

The trick

The best way to check if your avocado is ripe is super simple! At the top of the avocado is a small stalk. This stalk you try to gently pry loose. If the stalk is firmly attached and you can’t get it off easily, the avocado is not yet ripe. Does the stalk come off easily? Then look closely at the color underneath. If it is green, you have a perfectly ripe avocado ready to eat. If, on the other hand, it is brown under the stalk, you are unfortunately dealing with an overripe one. So it’s better to leave that one and look for another avocado.

With this simple trick, you can always find the perfect avocado for your guacamole, salad or sandwich. And best of all: never again be disappointed with avocados that are too hard or brown. Enjoy your meal!

Source: MAX Today | Image: Adobe Stock