Help! The Avocado I Just Cut Open Isn’t Ripe
Just last week, I cut open an avocado before it was ready. I’m not known for my patience, and I had a craving that needed to be satisfied. Instead, I got the disappointment of a hard, bitter and definitely unripe fruit.
However, this story ends well. My mistake led me to research and experiment with different techniques, recipes and ideas for an unripe avocado that I can now share with you.
Not only is it possible to ripen an already-open avocado, but you can actually eat it unripe using several different techniques to make it soft and tasty.
Read on to find out what to do with an unripe avocado—you’ll be amazed!
7 Ways to Use Unripe Avocado
You’ve cut into the avocado and discovered it isn’t ripe yet. Can you do anything with that hard avocado flesh? Sure you can!
- Slice it up, and then dip the slices in a beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Now either fry the slices or bake them until crispy and golden.
- Cube the flesh, bake until soft and then mash it all up. Combine with breadcrumbs, an egg and spices to make nice avocado patties.
- Grate the avocado and marinate in a mixture of equal parts sugar, lemon juice and fish sauce. Let rest for at least 20 minutes, then sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
- Slice the avocado, wrap the slices in bacon or prosciutto and bake until crisp.
- Dice the avocado and place the cubes in a baking dish. Make a béchamel sauce, pour it over the avocado and sprinkle some grated cheese on top. Bake until golden and bubbly.
- Dip slices of the avocado in tempura batter and fry until crisp.
- Simmer the avocado with onions, garlic, carrots and herbs until the vegetables are soft. Blend the soup until totally smooth, add salt and pepper to taste and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice or sour cream.
Can I Ripen an Avocado After It’s Cut Open?
The answer is yes, you can—with a caveat. The caveat is that you must have the patience to wait for a couple of more days! If you can do this, then yes, your avocado can be salvaged. (Just make sure not to throw away the pit.)
How to Ripen an Avocado After It’s Been Cut Open
- Put the avocado back together, with the two halves fitting snugly around the pit.
- Now, secure the halves so they can’t come open. You can use plastic wrap, masking tape, rubber bands or a piece of twine. Whatever you have on hand will work.
- The trick is to make sure the fruit is totally closed, so that no bugs, dust or moisture can enter.
- Place the avocado back on the counter or in the fruit bowl (NOT the fridge). Check every 12 hours or so for ripeness by gently poking the fruit.
How to Ripen an Avocado Fast!
What about those rock-hard avocados sitting on your kitchen counter? There’s no point cutting those open because it’s obvious they’re not ripe yet. But what if you’re in a hurry and you want them to ripen quickly? If you haven’t already cut them open, there are some really easy and effective ways to ripen them fast. Here are some of the techniques that people suggest (I personally use the rice method). Well, we can’t use rice only to unripe an avocado.
Avocado-Ripening Techniques
- Bury it in flour
- Wrap it in newspaper
- Store it near fruits such as bananas or apples that release ethylene (a ripening gas)
- Place it in a paper bag
- Put it in a jar of rice
- Heat it in a microwave
Avocado Saver: A Must-Have for Avoholics!
Avocados truly are one of my favourite foods, but they happen to be pricey and don’t last long once cut open.
That’s why I love the avocado saver. It keeps your avocado halves green and fresh for days by stopping the oxidisation process. No more wasted avocados, thrown out just because they’d turned brown.
Consider purchasing an avocado saver if:
- You use only half an avocado at a time
- You’re an avoholic like me
- You hate brown, slimy avocado
Warning: Toxic to Pets
Avocados are perfectly safe for humans; however, you should never give an animal any part of an avocado, including the pit, skin, flesh or leaves. The fruit contains a molecule called persin that can make animals ill or even lead to death.
Related: What are the Health Benefits of Rice?
Questions & Answers
Question: Does unripe avocado taste bitter?
Answer: Very! Best to hide the taste in a fruit smoothie or other preparation.
Question: Why is my avocado still hard after having had it in a fruit bowl for over a week?
Answer: Sometimes, it may take a while (even several weeks) for an avocado seed to germinate. Wait a little longer and it should sprout.