Carolyn Bell, RDN – Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
The best way to select an avocado is by using the ‘pressure test’. Place the avocado in the palm of your hand and give it a gentle squeeze, without using your fingertips (to avoid bruising). If the avocado gives to gentle pressure, it’s usually ripe and ready to eat. (Buy 2 or 3 to be sure you’ve selected ripe avocados.) Eat ripe avocados within a day or two after purchase, or place them in the refrigerator to slow ripening and spoiling.
Avocados that are still firm (and do not yield to pressure), should be left out at room temperature for 4-5 days to ripen. A ripened avocado also turns from a brighter green, to a darkened green – almost blackish or purple in color. Avoid avocados with large indentations on the outside. This may indicate bruising and over-ripened avocados.
