Lifestyle

How to ripen an avocado in just 10 minutes

This is life changing.

If you’ve been guilty of squeezing avocados in the fruit aisle on multiple occasions in the pursuit of ‘optimum ripeness’, you’re not alone.

Alas, these two hacks for ripening avocados in record time via Refinery 29 will save you time and your reputation at the supermarket!

Bag it

Time to ripen: 1-2 days

What you need: an unripe avocado, a banana or apple and a paper bag.

Instructions: Simply pop your unripe avocado in the paper bag with the apple or banana. Check for ripeness after a day. If it’s still too hard, put it back into the bag for a second day.

Why does it work? Avocados, apples and bananas all emit a gas called ‘ethylene’, responsible for ripening fruit. By trapping the ethylene in a paper bag, the fruit ripen faster than normal.

Nuke it

Time to ripen: 10-60 mins

What you need: an unripe avocado, aluminium foil and baking paper

Instructions: Wrap your rock-like avocado in aluminium foil, place on a tray of baking paper and whack in the oven at 95°C for 10 mins. Depending on how unripe the avocado is, you may need to keep it in the oven for up to an hour. When done, put it in the fridge until cool.

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