We all know that the shelf life of many foods depends mostly on how they are stored. If you provide proper storage conditions, your favorite food will last much longer.
In this article we will talk about avocados. Have you ever wondered how long your favorite fruit can last? What is most important when it comes to the shelf life of avocados? Read along and you will find out soon, but first we will tell you something more about avocados.
More about Avocado
Avocado is a tree that is native to South Central Mexico and its fruits are also called avocados. Today avocados are grown and used in cuisines all over the world. Avocados have a green skinned body that is usually pear-shaper or spherical.
Avocado is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin E and other nutrients. Also, avocado is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids that improve our cardiovascular health. This fruit is especially used in the diet of consumers who don’t eat other fatty foods, such as dairy products or high-fat meats. Also, avocado oil is known to hydrate and toughen skin cells.
Avocado has a smooth texture and a mild taste, so you can use it in many ways. There is a variety of different recipes in which avocado is used as an ingredient. Not only can you eat a fresh avocado but you can also prepare different dishes and specialties using this fruit.
Avocados are usually used for salads and sandwiches, but you can also mix avocado to make a delicious smoothy. You can also grill avocado together with lemon and olive oil. The most popular recipe to use avocado is making a guacamole sauce. You just need to smash your avocados up with onions, garlic, tomatoes, lime juice and pepper. It is recommended to leave the avocado pit in the middle of the guacamole dip in order to make it looking green and fresh for a long time.
What Is the Shelf Life of Avocados?
The shelf life of avocado depends to a large extent on the way of its storage. If this fruit is not stored properly, it will last for a shorter period of time. If you provide proper storage conditions, avocado will last much longer.
Like most other fruits, avocado doesn’t have a sell by date, a best before date or a use by date. You will not know how long avocado was stored before you have purchased it.
If you store ripe and unpeeled avocados in the fridge, they will last for a couple of days, but it is best to eat them right away. After 3-4 days avocados will turn brownish although they are unpeeled. Ripe avocados will taste good a couple of days in the fridge, but it is best to eat them as soon as possible. If avocados are unripen and if you keep them in the fridge, their shelf life will be much longer. They can stay fresh for up to a month or even longer.
How To Store Avocado Properly?
As we have already said, proper storage conditions are the most important when it comes to the shelf life of avocado. Although avocado is a fruit, it is best to store it in the refrigerator drawer. But, if avocado is already ripe, it will last only several days longer if kept in the fridge. If you store only a half of avocado in the fridge, it is recommended to use the half that contains pit because pit can make avocado to go brown more slowly. If avocados are left on the counter, they will ripen more and more. If avocados are not ripe yet, there’s no need to store them in the fridge. You can store them at room temperature until they become ripe.
But, if you want, you can store also unripen avocados in the fridge, in order to extend their shelf life. You can also peel the avocados and put them in a heavy duty freezer bag. This way you will significantly increase the shelf life of your avocado.
How To Tell If Avocado Has Gone Bad?
A fresh avocado has a dark green color and its flesh has a light green color. You will easily notice if avocado has gone bad. Avocado will turn black on the skin and its inside will also become brown or even black.
Also, you will notice that your avocado has changed in smell. It will have a sour smell and the taste will also be different. It is possible that you notice a mold that has appeared on your avocado. If there are any of these signs, you should toss out the avocado. Remember that foods that have gone bad are related to many health issues, so it is best to avoid them.
Summary
As you have seen in this article, avocado doesn’t have a pretty long shelf life. It will go bad quickly if you store it at room temperature, but if kept in the fridge it will last much longer.
We recommend you to store your ripen avocados in the fridge in order to extend their shelf life. It won’t be difficult to notice if your avocado has gone bad. It will turn brownish or even black and it will be smelly. In this case you should discard it as soon as possible, in order to avoid any health risks.
