Color – Avocado skin darkens from green to brown as the fruit matures. Black avos are overripe and likely to be squishy when squeezed. Texture – The bumpy skin of avocados tends to become smoother as the fruit ripens. Once overripe, dehydration causes the skin to wither and become lumpy once again. Feel – Ripe avocados will give slightly when you apply pressure with your fingers. This give will be similar to a ripe peach—soft but not squishy.
Avocados release ethylene gasses that expedite ripening. Placing an avocado in a paper bag traps ethylene gas and helps makes ripen even faster.
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This method and the following ones don’t technically ripen avocados, but it’ll give you soft avo flesh in a pinch. Wrap your avocado in foil and bake at 200 degrees for 10 minutes.
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For a slightly faster method, you can boil your avocado. Bring water to a boil. Place your uncut avocado in the pot and cook for 5-10 minutes, depending on how hard your avo is.
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To soften your avo in the microwave, cut it in half, remove the pit, and wrap each half in a paper towel. Cook for 30 seconds. Repeat until the desired softness is reached.
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