Avocados are rich, creamy fruits that the world can’t seem to get enough of. Unfortunately, it’s all too common to bring them home and have them go bad before we’re able to eat them. So, how long are avocados good for realistically?
Showing you how to tell if an avocado is good relies on knowing what signs of ripeness to look out for, as well as tips for storing them to make them last longer. Do avocados go bad that quickly? There is a short time frame to consume them at their perfect ripeness, but they are safe to eat when slightly unripe or overripe. Fresh avocados have a dark green, leathery skin with buttery, light green avocado flesh.
People use them on sandwiches and wraps and put them in smoothies, chip dips, and salads. Some people are even going as far as transforming them into desserts like brownies and pudding. These savory fruits go with just about anything and have taken the world by storm over the past decade.
Avocado Nutrition
We all know that there are good fats and bad fats. Avocados may contain six grams of fat, but these fats are beneficial to us. They make us feel fuller, absorb fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, stabilize blood sugar, and make our skin and hair shiny, moist, and smooth.
One Hass avocado has around 200 calories and is packed full of folates, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B, C, and K.
They are heart-healthy, make bones stronger, and work as a natural detoxifier for our bodies. It may seem naughty to eat a bowl of guacamole with chips, but we give our body the health benefits that it needs to thrive in the process.
How Long are Avocados Good for?
You may wonder, “How long do avocados take to grow?” If you have a little patience, growing your avocados is ideal. Getting some fruit does take a while, though.
Buying them from the store is what most people do, but if you grow your own, you need to know when to harvest avocados. How do you pick a ripe avocado? Knowing the perfect time to eat avocados is simple once you know what to look for. Just like with other veggies, it is important to know if green beans are bad or your corn on the cob before you eat it or preserve it.
Learning how long avocados are good for in the fridge or freezer and at room temperature takes some trial and error, but this guide lets you know exactly how long they last in each situation. Keeping avocados fresh and knowing their shelf life starts at the grocery store.
How to Tell if an Avocado is Good
The ripening process of an avocado starts the moment you are picking a ripe avocado they get picked from the tree. Ethylene gas initiates the ripening process, and the time it takes the unripe avocado to get to the store has a significant impact on what shape they’re in once you find them.
The most straightforward strategy for how to tell when avocados are gone bad or picking a ripe avocado is to feel them. Ripe avocados have dark outer skin and are slightly soft when you give them a gentle squeeze.
Unripe avocados feel as hard as a rock, while overripe avocados are mushy like rotten cucumbers. Removing the stem at the top of the avocado also helps you determine its readiness.
If the stem easily comes off and is light green underneath, it’s probably ready for eating. If it is hard to remove or has a brown underside, they aren’t in their prime ripeness.
If you plan on eating these fruits throughout the week, choose various ripeness levels to bring home. That way, you’re able to eat the riper avocados first while the underripe ones work toward perfection until you’re ready for them.
If you bought a bunch of unripe avocados and are ready to eat them now, there is a way to ripen avocados more quickly.
Place a whole avocado in a brown paper bag with apples or bananas. These fruits also produce ethylene gas, helping speed up the process and making them read to eat sooner than ripening naturally.
Places to Store Avocados
Realistically, the absolute best place to keep your avocados is on the kitchen counter at room temperature.
This location not only serves as a reminder for you to eat them, but they last an average of three days this way. If you know how to keep avocados fresh but don’t want them on the counter, the fridge is your next best bet.
Do Avocados Go Bad in the Fridge?
How long do avocados last in the refrigerator? Only refrigerate avocados that are already ripe.
What about strawberries and other fruits? When do strawberries go bad? Mushiness and an off odor are usually signs that the fruit is starting to spoil.
The fridge’s cold temperatures slow the ripening process significantly, which may leave you stuck with fruits that never ripen at all. Whole avocados last for up to two weeks.
If you have cut avocado, there is a trick that helps them from turning brown and mushy. Brushing lime juice or lemon juice on the avocado halves and wrapping them tightly in plastic wraps helps keep them fresh for as long as possible.
When the air hits the fleshy center, they turn brown and make them unappealing to the eye. Store avocados for up to three days in the fridge this way. Using acid is also a smart tip for storing avocado puree or guacamole.
Remove the avocado’s outer skin and pit and put the green flesh in a large bowl but save the pit. Throw in the diced tomato and add garlic powder, cilantro, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice, all to taste.
Mash the ingredients together with a regular fork or potato masher until you reach your desired consistency. When ready to store the guacamole, put it in an airtight container.
Squeeze extra lime juice on top and put the pit back in the guacamole to help keep it fresh longer. Put plastic wrap over the top, pressing down, so there is no air between the guacamole and the plastic. Place the lid of the container on securely and store it in the fridge for three days.
How to Freeze Avocado
Frozen avocado is another long-lasting yet straightforward way to store them and keep them from going bad. Wash, peel, and pit an avocado. Slice the fruit into wedges or cubes and sprinkle them with lemon or lime juice.
Place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and put them in the freezer for an hour.
Remove the pieces from the sheet and put them in freezer bags or plastic bags with all the air removed. Throw the frozen slices into smoothies or turn them into a puree.
Can you freeze whole avocados? Yes, you can. Wash and dry the avocado and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Whole avocadoes last from three to six months when stored this way.
Avocados are infamous for the small window of perfect ripeness, but there are simple ways to combat that time frame and keep them fresh and tasty for as long as possible.
Avocados are superfoods that complement many dishes and bring a texture that most of us can’t get enough of. It’s no wonder we want to keep these fruits in our home for as long as possible.
Utilizing the fruit to the best of its ability is the smartest way to eat them while they’re at their freshest.
If showing you how long are avocados good for helped you prolong their stay in your home, share these tips for keeping avocados fresh on Facebook and Pinterest.