A ripening hack for avocados has emerged but can only be used on fruits which is almost ripe and not ones that are rock-solid
It is a huge annoyance to find avocados in the supermarket, but they are not ripe yet and cannot be used in a recipe.
But how do you ripen the fruit so they don’t go to waste? Now a hack has been shared on social media which promises to ripen them in just two-minutes to allow them to make tasty dish. All you need, according to Taste at Home magazine is a working microwave and in a few minutes, an avo can be used. The Express reports the hack, however, only works for avocados that are almost ripe, not ones that are rock-solid hard. Home cooks are advised remove the avocado stone and pith before wrapping the halves in cling film. They are then told to put the avocado on a high heat for two minutes, before allowing the fruit cool down.
Run the halves of avocado under cold water when they are still in the cling film. This prevents them from cooking further. They can then be unwrapped and used as sandwich filler, in salads, guacamole, or for tacos. But if your avocados are really hard and inedible the hack will simply not work. They simply have to wait for time to take its course, but there are ways of speeding this up.
Taste of Home gave a budget-friendly trick for ripening a very hard avocado. All you need is the avocado, an apple, a paper bag and anywhere from between one to 72 hours. People are urged to place the avocado in the paper bag with an apple, poke several holes in the bag using a toothpick or pin, then leave it at room temperature.
Apples emit ethylene gas, known as the fruit-ripening hormone. This gas accelerates the ripening process of any surrounding fruits, including avocados. The paper bag traps this ethylene, helping the avocado to ripen more quickly, which means if you prepare ahead of time, avocados can be ready for when you are.
The Mirror reported in August Taesha Butler, the whizz behind the foodie site The Natural Nurturer, has spilled an ingenious hack that could save your avocados from the bin. She advised: “Brush the exposed flesh with a little avocado or olive oil. This will create a barrier between the flesh and air, slowing down browning. I find a pastry brush is perfect for the job.”
If you are wondering how olive oil can be the saviour of your half-eaten avocados the answer is it is able to preserve them by cutting down on their exposure to the air. The idea is not as bizarre as it sounds; daubing that cut side of the avocado in olive oil acts as a sealant, cutting down the oxygen exposure and, hence, its ability to ruin your snack. By locking in the moisture with oil, your avocado stays away from the dreaded browning, keeping it ready for your toast longer.
