How to Store Avocados: Best Tips to Keep Them Fresh and Ripe Longer

Although all avocados may look similar at first glance, there are in fact 15 different varieties, each with unique textures and flavors.

Gina Widjaja, a leading expert of the Hass Avocado Board in the U.S., spoke with Simply Recipes and shared some valuable avocado storage tips. “If an avocado yields to gentle pressure, it’s ripe and ready to eat,” she explained. “Ripe avocados have a darker skin and feel soft — but not mushy, to the touch. Unripe ones are firm and have a bright green color.”

How to Ripen and Store Avocados Correctly

Widjaja explains: “Unripe, firm, or green avocados usually take four to five days to ripen at room temperature. If they’re already ripe when you buy them, store them in the refrigerator and take them out as needed. The cold slows the ripening process and helps extend their shelf life.”

Don’t refrigerate unripe avocados unless you want to slow down the ripening significantly. Keeping them at room temperature is best until they soften.

Safety Tip: Avoid Storing Avocados in Water

Many people store avocados in water to keep them fresh, but Widjaja warns against this trend: “Storing avocados in water can encourage the growth of listeria or salmonella bacteria that may be present on the skin.”

How to Store a Cut Avocado

1. Brush the exposed side with a little lemon or lime juice.

2. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

3. Store it in the refrigerator.

To speed up ripening, you can place the avocado next to fruits like apples, or under bananas in your fruit bowl. These fruits release natural ethylene gas that accelerates the process.

Can You Freeze Avocados?

Surprisingly, you can freeze whole, unpeeled avocados.
To use them later, let them thaw at room temperature for about an hour.

Once defrosted, the texture will be much softer and not ideal for slicing or salads. However, thawed avocado is perfect for smoothies or spreads.