How to choose an avocado: determine the quality and ripeness of the fruit

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Although avocado does not grow in our latitudes, it has firmly taken its position as one of our favorite fruits. This popularity is justified by its versatility, light nutty flavor and creamy pulp, which is good both as an independent dish and in combination with other ingredients.

However, many are faced with the difficulty of choosing a fruit. After reading the article, you will learn how to choose an avocado so that it is ripe and what to do if you still come across an unripe fruit.

The most common varieties

The overseas fruit avocado, which is also often called the “alligator pear,” looks rather unusual to us. The outside of the fruit is covered with a dense, lumpy, dark green skin. When you cut it, you can see that, in addition to the oily pulp, there is a large bone inside, which is removed before use. Only the pulp of the fruit is suitable for eating, which gives dishes a soft texture and an original taste.

The number of varieties of this exotic fruit reaches 400, but only three varieties are found on sale, differing from each other both in appearance and taste:

Florida. It is distinguished by a smooth surface of a greenish tint and a fairly dense fleshy part. This variety is better than others for salads, as it has low calorie content. The fruit can be eaten raw, after first peeling it with a knife and removing the large pit.
Californian. This species has a dense brownish crust and very juicy, loose flesh. These fruits are sold in stores all year round. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the fruit in order to avoid purchasing a fruit with dents that are invisible at first glance.
Pinkerton. A distinctive feature of this variety is its dark green peel with a large number of pimples. There is much more pulp in such fruits, since the seed is small. The tough skin of an avocado can be removed without using a knife. The internal structure is not damaged. Pinkerton is recommended for making rolls or sauces.

Cleaning process

You can do a final ripeness check at home. Cut the cutting from the top, evaluate the color and smell. The pulp of the ripe berry is yellow-green and smells like oil. An unripe avocado fruit is pale yellow inside. Externally, the pulp is like a pear and has almost no odor.

Peeling an avocado is easy:

Wash the fruit under running water and wipe dry with a towel.
Use a sharp knife to make a longitudinal cut in a circle. Don't touch the bone.
Hold the avocado in your palms and hook your thumbs around the top.
With a little effort, divide the fruit into two halves.
Remove the bone by picking it up with a knife.
Using a teaspoon, remove the pulp from the skin.

Would you like to buy an avocado with a small pit at the store to get more valuable pulp after peeling? Choose Fuetre, Hass or Pinkerton varieties.

Like a ripe apple, a cut avocado immediately begins to darken and oxidize. To stop this process, sprinkle the pulp with lemon juice.

The shelf life of the fruit in the refrigerator is 2-3 days. I wonder how they eat it?

How to choose a ripe avocado in the store?

Since the ripeness of the fruit affects its taste, you need to know what external signs you need to pay attention to in order to choose an avocado in the store. In most cases, basic information about the product is indicated on the price tag. It can be used to determine the variety, the stage of fruit ripening, as well as the country from which the tropical fruit was imported.

To determine the ripeness of a California avocado, you need to press it with your finger. There should be no dents left on ripe fruits. If you bring an alligator pear to your ear and shake it in your hand, you should hear the bone rolling around inside. If the characteristic sound is not observed, then the fruit is not yet ripe.

Pinkerton and Florida avocados are much more difficult to choose from in the store. The fact is that the inside of these varieties remains very elastic even in a ripe state, so it is difficult to determine its ripeness by pressing.

In order to exclude the possibility of purchasing a low-quality avocado, it is carefully inspected from all sides. It should be free of cracks and dents, as well as any signs of diaper rash or rot. Ripe fruits have a rich dark color. However, when paying attention to the shade, you need to take into account whether it belongs to a specific variety.

If in a store you can feel the fruit with your hands, then its ripeness can be determined by pressing on the peel. The hole formed when pressed quickly disappears on ripened fruits. If the indentation remains, this indicates that the alligator pear is overripe. When the dent does not appear at all, the fruit should ripen. Unripe avocados can reach ripeness when stored at home within 4-5 days.

For the best tips on choosing avocados, watch the following video:

Use

What is better to combine it with? This fruit is one of the most satisfying in the world, like bananas. Of course, it can be eaten raw or in any other form. It will be very tasty if you put butter on a slice of black bread, and put avocado slices on top (you can chop them and make a paste) and add a little salt. The fruit will harmonize perfectly as an ingredient in a salad. It’s very tasty to add avocado to a salad of cherry tomatoes, cheese, crackers, herbs, boiled chicken and almonds. By the way, it is best to combine avocado with cheese on a skewer, after dipping it in honey. There are many different recipes that include avocado. You can serve the fruit as a side dish with various fish, such as salmon, tuna or salmon. An unusual option would be to add it to unsweetened cottage cheese or low-fat yogurt. A combination with a boiled egg and fresh vegetables would also be an excellent alternative for breakfast. You may also be surprised to learn that some chefs include avocados in fruit platters that are traditionally served at restaurant banquets. This is due to the fact that the fruit is quite tasteless, but healthy and has a slightly nutty, delicate taste. A wonderful combination with bananas and dried fruits, sometimes with sour green apples. As you may have noticed, there are many variations in preparing avocados. This is a fairly picky fruit that goes well with almost all foods.

In the article, we managed to find out what a ripe avocado looks like and how to choose the right one. Nutritionists advise consuming small amounts of the fruit every day, since it is rich, as mentioned earlier, in beneficial microelements that help improve digestion, as well as saturate organs and internal tissues with essential substances and vitamins. It is known that during the cold season there are few vegetables and fruits on store shelves. However, avocado is always present, at any time of the year. So feel free to stock up on nutritious fruit, cook delicious meals, and most importantly, be healthy!

Author: Maria Sukhorukikh
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How to make sure an avocado is ripe?

In order to determine how ripe the fruit you purchased in the store is, you first need to separate the stalk and inspect the recess. If it has a light brown tint, then the fruit is at optimal ripeness. If it turns out to be black, then the fruit is already overripe and is not recommended to be eaten.

Ripeness can also be distinguished by the consistency and color of their interior:

the pulp of overripe fruits is very moist and has a light brown tint;
a perfectly ripe, tasty fruit has sufficiently moist, bright green flesh;
pulp of insufficient ripeness is yellowish or greenish.

The consistency of the pulp is also important in determining the degree of ripeness. The edible part of the ripe fruit is very tender and quickly spreads on bread. If it is not soft enough, then the fruit needs to ripen. Unripe fruits can be used as an additional ingredient for salads. Their pulp is well cut into pieces and looks aesthetically pleasing in dishes.

Sandwiches

You can whip up a hearty and delicious appetizer with canned fish.

Ingredients:

Canned tuna – 140 grams;
Avocado – 1 pc.;
Bread – 4-6 slices;
Salt, pepper, herbs, lemon - to taste.

Dry the bread a little in a frying pan, in a toaster or in the oven. Peel the avocado and cut into thin slices. Mash the tuna with a fork. Cut the lemon into slices. Wash and dry the greens. Place avocado slices, fish, lemon and herbs on bread. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Main signs of ripe fruit

In addition to the rules discussed above for determining the ripeness of an avocado, in order to choose a quality product, you need to take into account standard factors that apply to most fruit crops. Its surface must be clean, without any damage, defects or signs of parasites. Important signs of a good ripe avocado include:

dark shade of the peel, which immediately differs from unripe fruits;
uniform skin color without light areas;
elastic surface without dents;
the stalk is bright green;
pleasant smell reminiscent of nut butter.

You can choose an avocado without focusing on its shape, since it may differ for ripe fruits of different varieties. Florida and Pinkerton are shaped like a small elongated pear, while Californian has a more rounded outline. The fruits of these species practically do not differ in taste. You can feel the difference only in ripe and overripe or unripe fruits.

Very often, preference when choosing is given to larger fruits, but it should be noted that size is not an indicator of ripeness. The bone in them is also very large, which affects the amount of tasty pulp. Its shape in different varieties can be round or oblong.

Appearance of the fruit, benefits and harms

The shape of an avocado, depending on the variety, can be round or pear-shaped, and the color can range from deep green to black. What is the secret of his popularity? This unique fruit is incredibly rich in healthy fats and also contains about 20 vitamins and minerals. In addition, it is extremely low in carbohydrates and high in fiber, which is why avocado is so often included in the diet of those who follow weight loss diets.

But, like any other product, it can bring not only benefits, but also harm. Estragole and anethole contained in its composition in large quantities can lead to complications in people suffering from liver diseases. Discomfort can also occur in those who have stomach problems, who have too thin blood and high potassium levels in the body. In addition, it should be consumed with caution by pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, as avocados may reduce breast milk production. Those taking anti-inflammatory medications should also avoid the fruit so as not to reduce the effectiveness of the medications. The basic rule to follow is to know when to stop. A moderate amount of avocado will be extremely beneficial for people who are not allergic to it.

Which avocado is not recommended to buy?

To enjoy the taste and aroma of a ripe avocado, and not feel disappointed, you need to know how to choose it and which fruits it is better to avoid purchasing:

the surface of the peel with defects such as dents, cuts or cracks may indicate poor quality of the product, which may be spoiled and hazardous to health;
It is better not to buy overripe fruit on the rind of which visible indentations remain after pressing with a finger;
the surface of an avocado with spots and dents indicates the development of the rotting process inside it;
if it is too hard to the touch, it will probably be unripe and cannot be eaten right away;
a clear sign of overripeness is the brown stalk;
insufficient ripeness can be judged by the light green cuttings with a yellow tint;
the absence of a pronounced odor is observed in avocados that were grown using harmful chemicals;
It is better to avoid purchasing a fruit whose surface is covered with wax or other specific compounds, since washing them off before use will be very problematic.

Smoothie

This is an incredibly healthy snack. It can be served as a drink or as a cold soup for an afternoon snack, for example.

Ingredients:

Avocado – 1 pc.;
Apple – 1 pc.;
Spinach – 1 bunch;
Olive oil – 2 drops;
Honey – 1 tbsp. l.;
Water – 1 glass (mineral or plain).

Wash and dry the spinach. Remove the core of the apple and cut the pulp into small cubes. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the pulp. Combine all ingredients and blend in a blender until smooth. Add water, honey and a drop of olive oil to taste. Serve immediately.

How to store at home?

In order for the avocado to remain tasty for a long time and so that it does not begin to rot from the inside, after purchasing it, it must be placed in a dark place where the sun's rays do not reach. The optimal storage temperature is +10 °C. If there are several fruits, they should be placed at a short distance from each other. The maximum storage duration under such conditions is 7 days.

Avocados can be stored in the refrigerator for longer than 10 days, after wrapping them in newspaper. The bottom vegetable drawer is best for storage.

In order for an unripe avocado to ripen, it is recommended to wrap it in a paper towel and leave it at home at room temperature for 4-5 days. Culinary experts recommend placing a banana in a paper wrapper next to it to speed up the process.

Cut fruit can be stored in the refrigerator in two ways:

If the pit has been removed, apply lime or lemon juice to the cut of the pulp using a silicone brush and place the halves in a plastic bag or food foam. You can preserve the freshness of the product in this way for 1-2 days.
The avocado will keep a little longer if you leave the pit in one of its halves. You need to create a sealed barrier by analogy with the first option. In this case, lemon juice can be replaced with olive oil.

Freezing peeled avocados is also allowed. Before placing it in the freezer, you need to peel it and puree the pulp using a food processor or blender. The resulting mass is placed in a container or other sealed container, leaving about 2-3 cm of free space on top. In the form of puree, it retains its taste and aroma for six months.

Guacamole

A soft and well-ripened avocado is suitable for this snack.

Ingredients:

Avocado – 1 pc.;
Tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
Onion – 1/3 pcs.;
Greens – 1/2 bunch;
Salt, chili pepper - to taste;
Lemon juice – 1-1.5 tbsp. l.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the pulp. Mash it with a fork into a puree. Peel and chop the onion. Cut the tomatoes into as small cubes as possible. Squeeze lemon juice and chop the herbs. Combine all ingredients, add salt and chili pepper to taste. Stir and serve.