How To Choose a Ripe Avocado

Quick Overview:

Observe the skin. Perfectly ripe avocados have a dark green color with specks of purple and black.
Gently squeeze or pinch the avocado.
If the avocado is gentle to the touch, they are ripe and ready.

Avocados cut in half on a teak cutting board with a utility knife

Gladiator Series 3.5" Serrated Paring Knife

Avocados are pear-shaped fruits that grow on tropical evergreen trees. Eating avocados is fun. All thanks to its creamy textures and nutty flavors, and if you love those flavor profiles, this is a fruit you’ve got to try if you haven’t already. Although, you probably have tried them, since these fruits have gained popularity in recent years.

Since avocados are not strongly flavored, you can pretty much do anything with them. On a clean kitchen counter, all you’ve got to do is place a damp paper towel below your cutting board. Then, cut avocados with your favorite chef’s knife. I’ll be going into more detail in this blog with specific tips for how to cut an avocado.

1. Types of Avocado

Let’s start by acknowledging just how incredibly versatile avocados are. If you’re big on meal planning, they can be used to make classics like pasta avocado salad, bacon avocado, avocado sandwiches, and the infamous all-day breakfast food – avocado toast. You could also whip up some low-carb avocado and chocolate ice cream.

All your favorite delicacies can be made from the finest avocados harvested around the world. There are over 100 different types of avocados being grown as you read this. But, we’ll be talking about the famous 15. You may have heard of some of them.

Choquette

A Choquette avocado has watery flesh and glossy, smooth skin. This avocado may leak some water when it is cut open. You can easily find Choquette avocados in Florida.

Lula

Lula avocados usually peak around summertime. It contains more water than the other types of avocados. Though this avocado is highly impervious and resistant to cold, it is prone to fungus.

Hass

Avocados from Mexico are called Hass avocados. This is the most popular kind out of fifteen different types. Hass is not seasonal as it grows all year. It is spherical and has a nutty flavor. The skin of this avocado is a blend of bright green to a dark purple during the ripening process.

Reed

Reed is a seasonal type of avocado, as it is only available during the months of summer. It doesn’t have a nutty flavor like Hass and is shaped like a tennis ball. As it ripens, this green avocado does not change its colors.

Pinkerton

Pinkerton resembles an oblong shape, thanks to the rough skin. The skin is easy to peel, and when cutting the avocado, you can’t miss the flesh’s creamy consistency.

Gwen

Gwen and Hass are the closest alternatives to each other in terms of appearance and taste. Gwen is the type of avocado that is mainly harvested in Guatemala and it has a bright green skin that is quite easy to peel off.

Maluma

Maluma is a type of avocado that you can’t miss if it lands on the shelves of your local grocery store. It is a dark-purple avocado that was first discovered in South Africa during the 1990s. Although Maluma grows quite slowly compared to its avocado counterparts, each tree does bear a lot of fruit.

Ettinger

Ettinger is often found in Israel. This is a bright green avocado with a mild flavor and a larger than average seed/pit.

Sharwil

This avocado is grown in Australia. It has yellow flesh and a green peel that is quite rough. While it is bold and nutty in flavor, Sharwil is susceptible to frost, as it is quite oily.

Zutano

Zutano is not the darkest of green avocados out there. The skin has a tinge of yellow to it. Although it tastes quite buttery, it is mild in its taste and flavor.

Brogden

Brogden is not a green avocado either. It is dark-purple and generally a hybrid of Mexican and West Indian avocados. It’s harder to peel this avocado as it is quite resistant to the cold.

Fuerte

Fuerte is not a common find when it comes to avocados. “Fuerte” is “strong” in Spanish, which explains its tough skin. This avocado is available for 8 months in a year and like hazelnut, it has an oily texture, too.

Cleopatra

Cleopatra is fairly new to the market. This is because this avocado is a small dwarf to Hass.

Bacon

Bacon avocados get their name from their light-brown skin. This skin is easy to peel, and the avocado itself has a much more ‘airy’ texture. If you want to make bacon avocado tots for a snack, this avocado would be a good fit, as it brings a balance to the rich flavor of cooked bacon.

Monroe

This avocado can weigh well over 2 pounds, which is what makes it distinct. The skin of this avocado is quite firm and has less watery flesh compared to other avocados.

2. How to Tell Whether an Avocado is Ripe

Here’s How to Tell Whether or Not an Avocado is Ripe With a Simple Trick:

Observe the skin – Is it a green avocado? Perfectly ripe avocados have a dark green color with specks of purple and black.

A black avocado or one with brown spots isn’t always ripe and ready, so here’s what you should do:

Apply gentle pressure or squeeze the avocado lightly. Is the skin bumpy or smooth? When avocados ripen, they have a bumpy texture.
If the avocado feels mushy or gentle to the touch, they are ripe and ready.

3. Simple Tricks To Ripen an Avocado Quickly – A Quick Guide

The ripening process for an avocado starts when they are harvested, and not when they’re on the tropical evergreen trees. If you have underripe avocados there are several things you can do over 3-4 days. Fret not! If you need to ripen an avocado quickly, we’ve got you covered, too.

For speeding up the ripening process, read on!

The Brown Paper Bag Technique

Place your avocados in a brown paper bag and set them aside for 3-4 days.

Just like bananas, avocados release ethylene gas, which helps them soften when harvested. So, placing underripe avocados in a brown paper bag will let the fruits sit in a compact space with the ethylene gas, hence speeding up the ripening process. Keep an eye out over the next 3-4 days, and your avocados will be ripe and ready.

Pair Your Underripe Avocados With Other Fruits

Place underripe avocados in a brown paper bag with apples or bananas. These fruits release large amounts of ethylene gas. Once the gas concentrates, your avocados become soft within a day or two.

Underripe Avocados In a Bowl of Rice

In a bowl of uncooked rice, place your underripe avocados. The rice will help trap the ethylene gas and will help ripen avocados quickly.

The Ultimate 5-Step Oven Technique

Preheat oven to 200º F.
Wash avocados and pat them dry on a clean kitchen counter.
Place avocado in foil and set it on a baking sheet.
Place the baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the tray and let your avocados cool for 10 minutes.

4. Everything You Need To Know About Hass Avocados

The Hass avocado is one of the most popular avocados compared to its 14 other counterparts. This is because it is high in fat, which gives it the perfect creamy consistency that you want when meal planning.

If you want to make a batch of fresh ice cream or avocado sandwiches, Hass would be the best kind of fruit to choose followed by Maluma.

Hass makes up for 95% of the avocados in the US, but it didn’t come into existence until the 1920s! In fact, in 1926, Rudolph Hass, a postal worker purchased avocado seeds from a local nursery.

He then began sourcing seeds from various locations. Although some of the fruits he harvested grew into immature trees. He then went on to patent ‘Hass’ avocados.

5. Dalstrong Tools You Will Need To Make the Best Avocado Recipes

The best chef knives and cutting boards at Dalstrong that you need to cut avocados!

1. Chef's Knife 6" - Gladiator Series

Chef's Knife 6" - Gladiator Series - Dalstrong

This chef’s knife is precision-forged from a single piece of high-carbon, premium quality German ThyssenKrupp steel. It is hardened at 56+ Rockwell to take on the robust nature of all the avocados out there. The only knife you need to cut avocados.

Pros:

The blade is wider than most knives, which makes it a great transitioning tool from the cutting board to your pot and pan set.
This knife is a great tool for both, home cooks and professional chefs.

Cons:

If you think it is the perfect time to upgrade to a slightly bigger knife in terms of length and height, I would suggest this knife.
If you prefer a chef’s knife with slightly higher maintenance, other knives in our collection may be better suited for you.

2. Chef's Knife 8" - Phantom Series

Whether you’re a home cook or a professional, this knife is a catch for those that struggle to cut avocados with a kitchen knife. It is made with Japanese AUS-8 steel. The handle is made with premium quality Pakkawood.

Pros:

A premium quality knife at a mid-range price.
Full tang for strength and robustness.

Cons:

Although it is affordable, it may be better suited for a professional home cook, if not a chef.
This knife features a standard 8" blade, which is appropriate for most users but some people prefer a shorter blade like the Gladiator above, or a longer one, like the Kiritsuke style below.

3. Kiritsuke Chef's Knife 9.5" - Phantom Series

Made with Japanese AUS-8 steel, the blade is razor-sharp and hand-sharpened at 13-15º degrees.

Pros:

Full tang for robustness and safer chopping.
The blade is tapered to provide flexibility and durability.

Cons:

Could be out of budget for some.
This knife is engineered for push cut efficiency, so if you prefer a rock chop motion you may want a more traditional chef's knife shape.

4. Vegetable Knife 8" The Deflector - Gladiator Series

This vegetable deflector knife glides past tough fruits and vegetables, which makes it perfect to cut avocados. The tapered blade is hardened with 56+ Rockwell and a satin finish.

Pros:

This is the ultimate vegetable chef’s knife that is perfect to cut avocado in half.
The tall blade provides knuckle clearance and makes meal planning easy.

Cons:

If you prefer chef knives with a smaller blade, I suggest this knife.
This knife may not fit your budget.

5. Lionswood Colossal Teak Cutting Board

This cutting board is excellent for cutting underripe avocados for fries or pickles. Made with premium quality Teak Wood, this cutting board won’t disappoint you.

Pros:

Resistant to bacteria and water.
Infused with moisturizing oils for added durability.

Cons:

This cutting board has a higher price tag, but for all the right reasons.
You may prefer a cutting board that is thinner in width. So, I suggest this cutting board.

6. Frequently Asked Questions

How can you tell if an avocado is ripe without squeezing?

If an avocado has a dark green color with black specks on the skin and feels mushy, the avocado is ripe and ready.

Can you eat an avocado that is not ripe?

Eating underripe avocados is completely safe. You can make fries or pickles with them.

How do I ripen an avocado quickly?

For speeding up the ripening process, you can place the underripe avocados in a brown paper bag for 3-4 days. Or, you could place avocado in foil and then bake for 10 minutes at 200º F.

Should you refrigerate avocados?

When an avocado ripens, you can place it in the refrigerator. But, placing unripe avocados in the refrigerator will slow the ripening process.

Written by Ananya Tiwari

Ananya loves the fine things in life. When she isn’t penning down poetry or song lyrics, she spends her time cooking and creating recipes while also enjoying new cuisines.