There’s nothing like running to the supermarket for avocados, only to find that every single one in stock is completely rock solid.
As your dreams of whipping up a fresh guac, avocado toast, or any other delicious avocado recipes begin to fade – take a pause. You can totally ripen that avocado faster with a few simple hacks.
Try out one of these genius, nutritionist-recommended ways to ripen an avocado quickly. Don’t worry, you’ll be enjoying the creamy green goodness in no time.
1. Keep Avocados Next To Bananas
If you’re shopping for avocados, buy some bananas to go with them. “Bananas produce ethylene, a gas that helps to trigger the ripening process,” says Maggie Michalczyk, a registered dietician. “Put your avocados in your fruit bowl close to the bananas to ripen them faster.”
2. Put Avocados In A Paper Bag
Placing avocados in a paper bag will help expedite the process, and they should be ready within four days. But to really speed it up, “place your avocados in a paper with the apples so that the ripening gas is trapped inside,” says Michalczyk. Apples contain the same ethylene gas as bananas, so this combo will get your rock solid avos ripe in one to three days. Just keep checking on it every day to make sure it doesn’t spoil.
Out of bananas and apples? “Tomatoes, potatoes, kiwifruit, and mangos also produce ethylene so you have options on what to put your avocado next to,” Michalczyk says.
3. Ripen Avocados In The Oven
This only works if the avocado isn’t super green – if it’s totally green all around, it may need to ripen more in a bag or on the counter first, says Michalczyk. But to try this technique, “wrap the avocados tightly in foil. Bake at about 100 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes,” she says. “The fruit should come out softened slightly but not warmed.” Pop it in the fridge to let it cool.
4. Put Avocados Near Sunlight
Don’t let your avocados bake away in the sun if it’s super-hot out, but putting them on a counter near sunlight can be a great way to get them ripe fast. “Warmer temps help to speed up the ripening process,” she says, “so keeping your avocados on the window sill might just be the most functional way to ripen.” Not to mention, it doubles as cute kitchen decoration!
5. Submerge Avocados In Rice
Grab a bowl and give your avos a little rice bath. “Avocados produce their own ethylene gas, too, so completely covering an avocado in a bowl of rice traps the ripening gas and speeds up the process,” she says. Expect your avocado to be ready in a couple of days.