How to choose a ripe avocado in the supermarket

Avocado, a fruit also known as the alligator pear, is gradually becoming an integral part of cooking in European countries, and not only as part of haute cuisine. Amateur culinary experts have also long appreciated the taste and benefits of this unusual fruit. However, the question of how to choose a ripe avocado in the store still arises from time to time. And therefore, connoisseurs of exotic foods will not be out of place to understand some of the nuances.

How to choose the right avocado in the store

Often people, having come to the store, tend to finish their purchases faster, and therefore many products are chosen thoughtlessly, focusing mainly on the appearance of the goods. In the case of avocados, this tactic is absolutely not suitable, since it is not always possible to determine whether it is ripe or not by the color of the peel of the fruit.

So, the color of a ripe alligator pear can vary, depending on the variety. On the shelves of domestic stores there are several varieties of exotic fruit:

• California variety Hass is available all year round. It has a rough skin that is dark, almost black in color and has a mushy pulp that is ideal for making guacamole, puree soups and green butter;
• In winter, the Florida Alligator Pear appears in the store. The surface of the fruit always remains green and smooth and takes on a deeper hue as the fruit becomes ripe. The flesh of the Florida avocado is juicy and dense: it should be chosen as an exotic ingredient for a salad or a side dish for meat dishes;
• The Pinkerton variety is also available at the store throughout the year. It is easily recognizable by its dark green pimply skin and a very small bone compared to other varieties. This avocado can be chosen for cooking almost any dish, including rolls.

How to determine the ripeness of an avocado

The color of the peel can still give information about the maturity of an avocado, if, in addition, you pay attention to other features inherent in a ripe fruit.

Choosing a mature alligator pear in the store, in addition to its color, will help:

• pulp consistency;
• fruit stalk;
• the sound the bone makes.

You can increase the likelihood of choosing a ripe fruit if you pay attention not to one of the above signs, but to several at once.

How to tell if an avocado is ripe by the color of the skin

As already mentioned, the color of an avocado in itself is not a guarantee that the fruit you choose when buying will be ripe. However, the color of the peel still contains a certain hint about the maturity of the fetus, as you can see from the photo below.

1. The light green color and very firm texture indicate that avocados take 4 to 5 days to reach maturity.
2. A darker shade of skin with light green areas on the top of the fruit also indicates insufficient ripeness, requiring another 2 to 3 days to lie down.
3. A uniform green color and an elastic surface make it clear that the fruit is almost ripe, and it can be used for food after 1 day.
4. The dark color of the skin and the soft surface, from which dents quickly disappear, indicate the readiness of the alligator pear for consumption. During this period, it can be used to prepare various dishes.
5. A day later, an even softer fruit can be eaten with a spoon or spread on sandwiches.

A very dark skin on an avocado can be a sign that the product has gone bad. At the same time, for Hass and Royal Black varieties, this shade is quite common and means sufficient maturity. Therefore, in order to choose an alligator pear in a store, it is worth relying on several methods for determining its maturity.

How to choose a ripe avocado for softness

It is possible to choose a delicious avocado by completely ignoring the signs of the color of the product. Buyers who do not want to make a mistake with the variety determine whether the product is ripe, relying on tactile sensations.

The fact is that the pulp of the fruit at different stages of maturity has a different consistency. If the store has such an opportunity, you should take an alligator pear in your hands and try to determine its ripeness by touch:

1. A finger is pressed on the surface, measuring the efforts.
2. A firm avocado that doesn’t leave a dent is more likely to be unripe. The pulp of such a berry will be tasteless or bitter, so you should choose it only if use can wait a few days.
3. An overripe fruit, when pressed, retains a depression from the finger, and its flesh creates a feeling of loose and lumpy. Choosing a product with such a texture would not be the best decision: it has already begun the process of decay, and you should not use it.
4. The peel of a ripe alligator pear forms a dent when pressed, but quickly recovers its shape. It is best to opt for a fruit with such a texture, since it will be the most useful and tasty.

How to choose a ripe avocado from a cutting

A good indicator that an avocado is ripe is its stalk. In the store, it is worth paying close attention to when it is difficult to determine the maturity by skin color or if the fruit seems too soft to the touch.

You can choose the most ripe avocado in the store if you tear off the stalk and examine the condition of the fruit under it, then check the photo above.

1. The dark brown color of the recess under the handle indicates that the product is overripe and not suitable for cooking.
2. A light yellow hue in this area, on the contrary, will be a sure sign that the fruit is optimally ripe and ready to eat.

How to choose a good avocado by sound

It is quite possible to choose an avocado in the supermarket by its bone. Of course, for this you do not need to cut the fruit and check how it looks from the inside. We are talking about the characteristic sound that a ripe alligator pear makes.

In an unripe fruit, the stone is not yet fully formed, and therefore it is very firmly attached to the pulp, and it takes some effort to tear it off.

A ripe product is characterized by the fact that in it the stone is independently detached from the pulp and is able to move in the cavity of the fruit.

In order to choose in the store by the sound of an avocado, you should shake the fruit over your ear. The presence of knocking will be a sign of good ripeness. If there is no sound, then such an alligator pear should be allowed to ripen for another 3-4 days.

Which avocado is not worth buying

It may seem that choosing the most ripe and delicious avocado in the store is not so easy and that this will take a certain amount of time. However, the selection procedure can be significantly accelerated if you first weed out all specimens that, for one reason or another, are not suitable for food:

1. You should not buy very hard fruits of a light green hue in the store. Although the alligator pear tends to ripen for some time after it is picked from the tree, products that are too dense have a rather low chance of this. They will not have time to reach the desired state before they begin to deteriorate.
2. Brown spots or dents on the surface indicate the beginning of rotting. The quality of such a product leaves much to be desired, so it would be wise to choose a different version of the alligator pear.
3. It is advisable to give preference to fruits that are stored outside the refrigerator. The recommended storage temperature for avocados is from 2 to 12 ° C, since this exotic fruit is thermophilic. Lower values ​​will provoke damage to the fruit.
4. It would be inappropriate to choose fruits with skin damage and scratches – they can become unusable after 10 – 12 hours after purchase in the store.

If you choose avocados with all care, then the risk of spending money on a spoiled product will decrease significantly.

Conclusion

Choosing a ripe avocado in the store can be difficult only at first glance. If you follow the basic recommendations when buying a product, then it will not be difficult to get a ripe and tasty fruit. A video on how to choose a ripe avocado in the store will help organize the information from the article and clearly demonstrate how to put the information into practice.