7 Ways to Store Cut Avocados from 48 Hours to 5 Months

The shelf life of avocados without additional manipulation is 1 week. You can even store cut avocados, but in this case you need to be smart. The fruit is rich in iron and other trace elements, so if its integrity has been compromised, the pulp will oxidize very quickly. If the “alligator pear” (also called avocado fruit) turns black after cutting, it can no longer be used as food.

For all lovers of salads, smoothies and other culinary dishes made from avocados, we present a rating of the most effective life hacks - ways to increase the shelf life of the cut fruit.

What are the signs to identify high-quality and low-quality fruit?

The quality of avocados in our country is regulated by GOST R 54689-2011, according to which the following fruits are sold:

• Healthy, clean, fresh, at the stage of consumer maturity, without signs of exposure to low temperatures.
• Visible damage caused by pests is not allowed.
• The color and shape of the fruit correspond to the varietal characteristics.
• The stalk is cut at the level of 1 cm, without mechanical damage.
• The presence of foreign odors and distortion of taste is excluded.
• Low-quality fruits also include fruits with obvious mechanical damage, signs of disease or rot, and the presence of mold.

How to store cut avocado?

When the vegetable turns out to be large and is not useful for use, but throwing away an expensive product is wasteful, questions arise about how to store a cut avocado in the refrigerator and how to store half an avocado so that it does not darken.

The main opponent of darkening of avocado pulp is acid. Lemon or lime. It protects the surface from contact with air and oxidation. Orange juice and even vinegar are suitable for these purposes, but they change the taste of the fruit, so use lemon:

• Rinse and dry the casing thoroughly;
• Cut in half or into quarters, removing the pit;
• Gently brush the surface with lemon extract using a brush;
• Assemble parts into whole avocado;
• Wrap the vegetable in film.

Now put it in the refrigerator and store for up to two days.

How to choose

In addition to meeting quality standards, the taste is greatly influenced by the degree of ripeness of the fruit. To ensure that you have a real avocado on your table in the form in which it is usually eaten, look for fruits based on the following characteristics:

• Weight. When reaching ripeness, the avocado becomes noticeably heavier. Therefore, from two visually identical specimens, choose the one that weighs more. This is due to the maximum concentration of healthy juices and fatty acids. For the same reason, the fruits become elastic. When pressed, the pulp is slightly deformed, but quickly restores its shape.
• Bone. Of course, you won’t be able to see it at the time of purchase, but you can hear it. Bring the fruit to your ear and shake; when ripe, the seed will rattle.
• Color. The rich dark green color of the skin indicates that the product has reached the desired condition and is ready for consumption. In this case, the surface of the avocado under the cutting should be light yellow.

Best before date

We figured out where to store avocados, another important question is how long the fruit can be stored. It depends on the conditions created. In the best case, without additional action on your part, the avocado can last up to two weeks.

Place	View	Temperature	Term
closet	ripe, whole	from +18 to +24°С	7 days
wardrobe, in a paper bag	immature, whole	from +18 to +24°С	10-14 days
fridge	halves	from +6 to +8°С	7 days
refrigerator, in a vacuum bag	slices in lime juice	from +6 to +8°С	4 days
refrigerator, in container	slices in lime juice	from +6 to +8°С	6 days
freezer	slices or halves	-18 °C	6 months

In order for the fruits to last as long as possible, it is important to know how to choose fruits. Buy only bright green fruits. The dark color indicates that they need to be eaten quickly. Ripe fruits should be eaten on the day of purchase, only then can you get the maximum benefit from them. A few more tips:

• do not place avocados close to other products, many of the fruits release ethylene, which accelerates the ripening of the fruit;
• the halves should only be stored with the cut side up, so the fruit will not wither too quickly;
• if you put it away for storage in a closet, then exclude sunlight;
• if you purchased unripe fruits, you can wrap them in newspaper and put them in a warm place for two days or in a hot oven; alternatively, you can cut each avocado in half, brush the cut with lemon juice, wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator until it is completely frozen. will mature.

Improper storage will lead to product damage. It can be identified by several signs: a soft surface, brown spots on the peel, and it itself is slippery to the touch; the avocado itself has an unpleasant odor. In this case, it is better to throw away the fruit.

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How to bring it to consumer ripeness at home

The homeland of avocado is very far from the store where you buy it, so fruits for export are always harvested unripe. They also end up on supermarket shelves in a not quite ripe state. This is not scary, the fruits will ripen perfectly at home in a few days at room temperature. If you don't have time to wait, there are several ways to speed up this process:

• Microwave. Prick the skin in several places with a fork. Microwave for 30 seconds on medium heat. Once cooled, use to prepare the desired dish.

IMPORTANT: Heat exposure may slightly distort the taste of the product, please take this into account when preparing dishes.

• Foil and oven. Wrap the fruits in foil and heat in the oven at 170-180 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.
• Paper bag and apple. Place both fruits in one bag, wrap tightly and leave at room temperature for about a day.
• Cling film and refrigerator. This method will save an already cut fruit. If you split an avocado and see that it is unripe, put the cut pieces together, wrap tightly in film and put them in the refrigerator.
• Newspaper. Wrap the fruit in newspaper and leave to ripen in a warm, dark place.

Answers to popular questions

If an avocado starts to darken, does this mean it has gone bad?

No, the darkening of an avocado after cutting is its normal reaction to contact with oxygen, which results in oxidation of the surface of the fruit. The dark color of the pulp has virtually no effect on its taste and valuable properties.

How long will an avocado ripen if you buy it unripe?

Most often, this process takes up to 4-6 days, but if you put the fruit in a paper bag along with other ripe fruits, you can reduce the ripening time to 2-3 days.

How can you tell if an avocado has gone bad?

It becomes too soft, an unpleasant odor begins to emanate from it, and a slimy layer appears on the cut. If you have not yet cut the avocado, pay attention to the peel - if dark spots appear on it, this may indicate rotting of the fruit.

How long does a ripe avocado last?

If you haven’t cut it yet - 3-4 days, after cutting - the same amount. However, be careful - overripening of the fruit can lead to premature rotting.

What's the best way to freeze avocado - pureed or sliced?

After defrosting an avocado, you will not be able to eat the fruit fresh, since it will lose most of its beneficial properties and taste, so consider only what you will use it for later, and proceed from your convenience. There is no fundamental difference in the options for preparing the fruit for freezing.

Ways to store avocados at home

We save whole fruits

Store whole, unripe fruit at room temperature until it reaches ripeness (from 1-2 days to a week);

Whole, ripe fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for about 10 days;

If you bought an avocado that, for some reason, you didn’t need, you can freeze it as is (in its entirety) and defrost it when the need arises.

How to store a cut avocado

Cut into pieces, put into sealed containers and put in the refrigerator for no more than a day, this is required by SanPiN 2.3.2.1324-03.

Of course, it is better to cut into pieces as much fruit as you plan to use, but there are times when it is impossible to avoid leftovers, and they need to be preserved somehow. A few simple tips will help you extend the storage period to 5-6 days in the refrigerator:

• brush the surface of the pieces or the cut of the halves with olive oil;
• sprinkle with lemon juice;
• pack in a vacuum bag to completely eliminate contact with air;
• place the pieces in a container on an onion bed;

NOTE: Avocado does not absorb the smell of onions, so this proximity will not affect its taste in any way. But the shelf life will increase to 6-8 days.

• cover the slices with water (shelf life will last up to 48 hours).

Freezing

Depending on the type in which you freeze the avocado, it can be stored from 3 months to six months:

• Frozen whole fruits can be used for up to 6 months;
• Avocado slices or halves can be frozen in special bags or food containers. So you can use the product for 3-4 months;

• Make avocado puree, place it in ice cube trays, plastic cups or other small containers and store in the freezer for up to 5 months.

IMPORTANT: Strictly measure portions when preparing puree; freezing it again is unacceptable.

How long does it last in dried form?

Dried avocados can be stored for up to 8 months, and even longer if all conditions are met.

Cut it into thin slices and dry it in a special machine at 50 degrees for about 10-12 hours.

Store at room temperature, in a dark place with relative humidity no more than 75%.

NOTE: If you add finely chopped cilantro or parsley during drying, and immediately after it your favorite spices, you will get delicious avocado chips.

How to Preserve Avocados for a Year

Fruits are stored longer in pickled form than other fruits. Although this dish is not popular in our country, this cannot be a reason not to try it. You can pickle an avocado in any way that is familiar to you: prepare a sweet or salty marinade, add your favorite spices or do without them.

Pickled fruits packaged in sterilized containers can be stored for up to 18 months at room temperature.

Storage nuances

1-2 weeks is the shelf life of an avocado. But here we are talking about a semi-ripe whole fruit.

5 recommendations will help extend the storage period of fruit cut in half:

1. Do not remove the pit. Half of it will last longer. It prevents oxygen from reaching the fibers.
2. Avocados with damaged skin should only be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
3. Contact with air must be limited. To do this, use cling film or a container with a lid.
4. The place at the back wall of the refrigerator is the best place to store the “alligator pear”.
5. The fruit should be stored strictly with the cut side up - in this position it will not wither so quickly.

There are many ways to preserve the appearance of a cut avocado. Below is a rating of life hacks for increasing shelf life.

Let's prepare guacamole

This is perhaps the most popular avocado dish. To make guacamole paste you will need:

• 3 ripe avocados;
• 2 medium limes;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 0.5 cups olive oil;
• cilantro and salt - to taste.

Wash and peel the avocado and chop it as desired. Place the pieces in a blender bowl, squeeze out the lime juice, add herbs, salt and oil. Bring everything to a smooth paste. Place in a serving bowl and the dish is ready.

HELP: To make it easier to peel the fruit, make a deep vertical cut along the entire body and turn the halves in the opposite direction.

All the secrets are open, now you know the available ways to preserve avocados at home, all you have to do is choose the right one. Store correctly and be healthy!

Avocado paste

Paste is another delicious option for storing avocados. The shelf life is not that long, but such a tasty product does not have to be stored for long - you will definitely want to try it.

To prepare you will need:

• ripe avocado – 2 pcs.;
• lemon juice – 2 tsp;
• olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
• green onion – 2 stalks;
• garlic – 1-2 cloves;
• salt – ½ tsp;
• seasonings (pepper, basil) to taste;
• water – 2 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Wash ripe avocados, peel the pulp and remove the seeds.
2. Finely chop the garlic and green onions.
3. Combine ingredients, add water.
4. Soften the mixture in a blender until pureed.
5. Add olive oil and lemon juice.
6. Mix thoroughly and beat again with a blender.
7. Taste the resulting mass and add seasonings (salt, pepper) to taste.
8. The mass is ready for use. For a more original taste, place it in the refrigerator for a while in a container with an airtight lid.

Shelf life of the paste in the refrigerator at a temperature of +2...+4°C: 2-3 days.

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How long does avocado last in the refrigerator?

Avocados can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store only ripe fruits. The unripe ones will remain unripe. Before storing avocados, you need to properly prepare them. There are three ways to do this:

• Treat the cut fruit with squeezed lemon juice. Place the avocado in a tight container and place the container in the refrigerator.
• Grease the surface of the avocado with olive oil.
• Cut the onion into rings and place the rings in a plastic container. Place the avocado on the onion. The fruit slices should be with the flesh facing up.

Each of the described methods is based on product preservation. Chopped onions in the third method release sulfur. And it is known to slow down the processes of decay. Avocado will not absorb the “onion” smell - the fruit will remain edible. Lemon juice and oil prevent the fruit pulp from oxidizing.

Important: when storing avocados, do not remove the pit. It covers part of the fruit fibers and protects them from oxidation. An important rule follows from this: first you need to eat the half of the fruit that is without the pit.

Results

Avocado is a healthy and tasty fruit that retains its properties well during storage. In the refrigerator and at room temperature, the fruit retains its quality perfectly for several months, so this condition should be taken into account when planning to purchase it with a reserve. The recommended storage period is reduced to several days after cutting it, but it can be extended by using certain techniques. It is possible to freeze avocados, but after defrosting, the product loses not only its structure, but also its beneficial properties, so this should only be done in extreme cases.

Video: how to properly store avocados

HOW TO PROPERLY STORE AVOCADOS.

Watch this video on YouTube

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Avocado: a brief description

The birthplace of the fruit is Mexico and Latin America. But recently, these plants have been grown in almost all tropical countries. Avocados are imported into our country, mainly from Israel.

The avocado fruit (another name for the alligator pear) is large and dense, oval in shape, with one large seed inside. Size 5-20cm, but on average about 10cm in length. The skin is almost black with pronounced tuberosity. If the fruit is dark green in color, it means it is not ripe.

The flesh is pale yellow or yellow-green, soft, tender and juicy. The oil content in the tissues is very high, so the pulp feels like a fatty cream. The taste is like a tart nut with a pronounced smell.

Alligator pear is often considered a vegetable, since it is not sweet, but very filling and high in calories.

What is avocado used for? In cooking they are used for side dishes, salads, creams and desserts. Ripe tender fruits can be eaten raw.