There’s a reason avocados are one of the most memed fruits (yes, they’re a fruit, thanks to that big ol’ pit in the center) of all time: They’re notoriously fickle. They go from hard and impenetrable to mushy and overripe seemingly within hours, and that’s doubly true if you paid extra for the organic kind. In fact, I have an 80-foot, 60-year-old heritage Fuerte avocado tree in our garden—the annual yield is so insane that I usually have to give away most of them! But we’ve just uncovered a crazy produce hack that can help you keep your avocados from going bad; in fact, this might just help you keep them ripe for months. Months!
Make a bit of room in the freezer, because you’re going to want to store any unpeeled avocados that you don’t foresee yourself using within a few days in there. While you can just throw them in the freezer unwrapped, I like to pack them by the half-dozen in parchment paper, then store them in a corner of the freezer that’ll go untouched for a while. (Just be sure none of the skin isn’t broken, and it’s not already past the point of peak-ripeness.) Once you’re ready to eat the avocado, run it under hot water for about a minute, let it sit for another 20-30, and then once it feels like you can press your finger into it with a bit of give, slice it open to reveal a perfectly ripe avocado each time. Just be sure you’re only freezing them for a couple of months, and never refreeze one that’s already been frozen and defrosted.
For a quick and easy snack, add a bit of lime juice, garlic salt, and red pepper flakes to mashed avocado for a fresh, five-minute guacamole—or mix it with olive oil and your favorite salsa verde to make your own salad dressing that’s packed with healthy fats!
xx MLK
