We all love avocados, but let’s be honest— they can be tricky little things! The fruit has a pretty tight window of ripeness, and figuring it out is a trick all its own when you have a guacamole or avocado toast craving. When you’re trying to shop a week or two ahead of time or plan for a party? Forget about it!
Most of us just buy some that seem close, stick them in a paper bag and hope, but what if there was a way to hurry up that ripening process— say, in about ten minutes? According to PureWow, it’s totally possible. All you have to do is turn on your oven and grab some aluminum foil.
“Wait,” we can hear you saying. “I don’t want to bake my avocados! I just want to make some guacamole!” Don’t worry. When you follow this method, all you’ll be doing is hurrying the avocados along to perfectly soft ripeness. Here’s how:
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wrap the avocado(s) you want to ripen in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet.
- Stick the baking sheet in the oven and let the avocado warm for 10 minutes.
- Remove the avocado(s) from the oven and place them in the refrigerator. Let sit in the fridge until completely cool.
PureWow does warn that if you have an avocado that’s rock-hard and nowhere close to being ripe, it might need up to an hour in the oven. Generally, though, your average avocado will only need about 10 minutes!
So why does this trick work without baking the avocado into dinner? It’s the combination of the heat and the foil:
Avocados produce ethylene gas, which is typically released slowly, causing the fruit to ripen. But as the avocado bakes in tinfoil, the gas surrounds it, putting the ripening process into hyperdrive.
So smart! We love a good avocado trick, and we’re happy to have another one to add to our arsenal. You too? Be sure to check out our others, like:
- How To Find A Perfectly Ripe Avocado: This no-squeeze technique gives you a peek at the inside right there in the produce department.
- How To Cut An Avocado Like A Pro: Do you feel like you’re always leaving some avocado flesh stuck in the skin? Get the most out of them with this professional cutting technique.
- How To Keep Avocados From Browning: Once you’ve put in the time for a ripe avocado, make sure you don’t miss out on any of it by letting it go brown. Here are the best tricks for keeping them perfectly green.
- How To Eat Avocado Pits: Another way to make sure you get all the use possible out of your avocados? Eat the pits! Yes, it’s possible.
- How To Use Avocado Seeds In A DIY Mask: Can’t bring yourself to eat the seeds? Make a beautifying facial cleanser instead.
What are some of your favorite avocado tips and recipes?