How to Pick a Ripe Avocado at the Store
A quick, simple trick to stop bringing home hard or mushy avocados.
Learn the easy way to tell if an avocado is ready to eat, too hard, or already gone bad — no guessing, no cutting one open just to find out.
Nobody likes cutting open an avocado only to find it's rock hard inside, or worse, brown and mushy. Here's a simple way to pick a good one every time.
Look at the Colour First
A ripe avocado is usually darker, almost black-green. A bright green avocado is often still too firm and needs a few more days.
Then Give It a Gentle Squeeze
Cup the avocado in your palm and press gently with your fingers, not your fingertips. If it gives just a little, it's ready to eat. If it's hard as a rock, it needs more time. If it feels very soft or mushy, it's likely overripe.
Check the Little Stem
Many avocados have a small stem nub at the top. Try to flick it off gently. If it comes off easily and you see green underneath, the avocado is ripe. If it's brown underneath, it may be overripe. If the stem won't budge, it's not ready yet.
What if You Bought It Too Early?
No problem. Leave hard avocados on the counter at room temperature for two to four days. Want it to ripen faster? Put it in a paper bag with a banana — the banana gives off a gas that speeds up ripening.
What if It's Already Ripe But You're Not Ready?
Pop it in the fridge. This slows down the ripening so you get an extra day or two before it goes soft.
With this simple check, you'll stop guessing and start picking a good avocado every single time.