IT’S avo season and everywhere you go avos abound, but how can you be sure that the fruit you choose at the fresh market stall in your local grocery store is ripe and ready to be taken home?
Firstly, forget about checking for ripeness by giving the avo a little squeeze! It is a misconception that one can tell an avo’s ripeness by squeezing it, all you’re really doing is damaging it and leaving a bruise.
When you are choosing loose avos, check the stalk. If if falls off at a gentle touch, then it’s ripe and ready for eating. If the stalk hole has a soft greenish yellow colour, the inside should be perfect. If there is any blackness or discolouration under the stalk, the fruit is possibly bruised or over-ripe, so put it down and move on to the next specimen that catches your eye. If the stalk remains firmly attached then it’s not ready, but you can take it home and let it ripen either in the fruit bowl, or stored in a paper bag or wrapped in paper in a dark cupboard or drawer. If you store it wil a banana, the ripening process is speeded up!
Hass avos, which have a darker skin are often picked without stems, but you can tell they’re ready for eating by the changes in colour of their skin. It changes from green to purple/black when ripe.
Pre-packed avos can’t be checked for stalks, but if you lightly feel the area at the top of the fruit around the stalk base, it should be soft under a light touch.
Of packed ripe avos are labelled ‘ripe and ready to eat.’ You don’t need to squeeze these, but if you find one that is not ripe as advertised, return it to the store you bought it from for refund or exchange.
Watch DIY Suzelle show you how to check for a ripe avo here.
