cookie, just put them in a brown paper bag overnight and check them later. Avacados are afraid of the dark and turn to mush then.

Put it in a brown paper bag and fold it closed. It should ripen in a couple of days!

I always stuck 'em in a brown paper lunch bag [they're little] and it did the trick in a day or two. And if they get ripe and you're not ready put them in the fridge and you can slow the ripening process for a few days.

Anyone else ever heard the adage: Off the vine - vegetables ripen, fruit rots? I guess it stems from the fructose content or the internal seeds?

Thanks. I have two and only want to ripen one of them so I will put it in a bag. How about the second - should I put it in the fridge or leave on the counter? I only started eating avocados after I started making this salsa so they are pretty new to me.

Leave it on the counter, if you put it in the fridge it won't ripen, you'll forget, and it will mold from the inside. The second will ripen a few days after the Unknown Comic ;-)

Or you could have guac followed a main that has avocado. A nice grilled ranch chicken with sliced avocado, bacon bits, diced tomatoes...ok now I want avocados.

Put a slice of apple or a ripe banana in the bag with the avocado to speed up the process. They give off lots of ethylene gas and should cut ripening time to about a day.

oh and did anyone tell you to leave the pit in the finished salsa and squeeze some lemon juice on top? That will keep the salsa/guac from browning.

The pit will do nothing to help the finished salsa from browning, except for the area that it covers, but plastic wrap would do a better job. Lemon or lime juice will also help keep it from browning. I prefer lime with avocado. As for ripening, the brown bag alone is not nearly as effect as brown bag with banana.

Lars

I ate 1/2 an avocado all by myself in my salad tonight....
I may spread the other half on my toast in the morning. my daughter tells that the Momma of the family she stayed with when she studied in Mexico called it "poor man's Manticilla"...or however it's spelled.
Anyhow it's a yummy breakfast!
Linda C

I'll defer on the pit urban legend to Lars since he's where the avocado ars ;-)

I like lime better as well, I use both in my guac. It was my jump off recipe from the Joyce Lefray book where I got that great cuban black bean recipe I posted last summer. I think you tried it with turkey ham Lars :)

Yes, I did make Cuban black beans with turkey ham, and I've made that quite a few times, and sometimes without the turkey at all.

Monday I made an avocado omelet with mild Gruyère cheese, cilantro, and green salsa. I had stored the avocado in the fridge for about a week, and it did get ripe, but there were a couple of small bad spots. Avocados will ripen slowly in the fridge, and I like to be able to store them over time. I served the omelet with steamed corn tortillas. I should have taken a picture, but I've been very bad about this lately. It did look pretty on the plates!

Lars

Not to worry (about it browning) - it will be all gone in one sitting, thanks! I have to go to another area in my city today so I may pop in a couple of stores to see if they have any ripe ones. Mine is still rock hard after an overnight in a paper bag. Can you tell I am dying here!

If you do need to cover the bowl with plastic wrap push it down to where it is actually touching the top of the guac so there is no air space between plastic wrap and guac.

When we make guacamole ahead of time, I spread a thin layer of mayo on top. When we're ready to eat I just stir it in and it disappears. Regarding the ripening, some ripen faster than others, and if you are counting on using two avocados, buy a few extra just in case you get a bad one.

-Babka

Be careful of buying the avocadoes from Chili IÂve never found a good one. They are stringy inside and just donÂt taste good. The ones from Mexico are good but nothing beats a California avocado. I eat one every day they are higher in potassium than a banana and I just like them better. I usually buy 5 or 6 a week and try to get 2 almost ripe and the rest hard as rocks. I keep them in the frig and take one out every day and they ripen in a day or so. I always have at least one ripe one on the counter and one almost ripe.

Claudia

Avocados, my first love. And, yes, only buy California or Mexican avocados. Chilian avocados will rot before they get soft enough to eat, completely unusable. I always buy my avocados grass green, and the larger the better. Smaller ones may not have been ready to be picked. If they are cold as stones I leave them out on the counter next to the bananas or apples, keep the one I'm going to use today or tomorrow out and the rest are stored in the fridge. AND NEVER SQUEEZE, PINCH OR POKE THEM. The ripe ones feel warmer at room temp. I take them out the day before I'm going to use them and sometimes they are ripe enough to use after being in the fridge. Ripe avocados don't have to be soft. If they peel easily, they are ripe. If I need them the next day I always buy several just to make sure one is ripe when I need it.

Did you know avocados help you lose weight especially around your middle? But then there's the chips so scratch that!

I'm another who had to make a batch of guacamole after reading this thread. Well OK, actually I made it because some avocados I bought for the purpose finally reached the perfect state of ripeness. But I am enjoying the thread as well.

For guacamole, the avocados need to be the consistency of butter at room temperature. For slicing for salads or sandwiches, the consistency of refrigerated butter is right. Those are my favorite uses if avocados, but once in a while I like them in a delicious soup which is good as a starter course for a Mexican dinner.

Sopa de Aguacate (Avocado Soup)