Selecting The Right Avocado

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

07 Aug 2007 12:36 PM

Selecting an avocado has traditionally never been one of my strong points. I used to always wind up with one that, although it looked normal outside, when opened, might have been something you see the entire cast of CSU pouring over in any given week. A forensics study would have been appropriate.

The problem with avocados is that they ripen suddenly and then spoil just as quickly. At least, that is my story, and I am sticking with it.

My next strategy in selecting an avocado was to bring home one that was the most unripe-looking one I can find. Anything that was green and hard as a rock qualified. My logic was that it would eventually ripen and then my husband could tell me when it was ready.

There were several problems with this method. If I needed an avocado, it would require advanced planning. There could be no spontaneous avocado parties of any sort. Sometimes, especially in the cooler months, the avocado would never seem to ripen, instead choosing just to age gracefully, wrinkling up like a dignified old grandfather. But the biggest obstacle to my avocado adaptation was my husband's reluctance to feed the codependency. And so, he finally sat me down and told me I needed help.

I want you to be able to avoid the embarrassment of being avocado-challenged, and so I here are some of the proven tips I've learned, to help you select the right avocado every time; one that is absolutely at its peak of avocado-ey goodness.

Choose an avocado that is firm but yields gently to pressure. A soft avocado means that it is probably rotten inside, not ripe. It should be a dark green in color, but not very black. If it appears heavy for its size, then you picked a good one.

Another way to test for ripeness is by removing the stem of the avocado. If the stem is green underneath, then that is a good indication that it is ripe! Once it is ripe, the avocado can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Mary Ann Romans writes for the Frugal Living Blog here at Families.com, where she shares money saving tips for today's families. She also writes for the Computing Blog here at Families.com where she shares everything from the latest news on technology to cool downloads and fun websites.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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