Avocados are perfect to have in your fridge when you are craving something creamy and savoury, but they are notorious for going bad in just a few days. If you slice open avocados, the enzymes inside will react to oxygen in the air, causing the fruit to become brown and mushy before its time.
However, Taesha Butler, a cook and founder of The Natural Nurturer, has shared that the best way to protect avocados from spoiling is to store them coated in olive oil. Taesha explained: “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.”
Many people think storing avocado slices in water will keep them fresh, but this does not work; instead, it creates harmful bacteria that will make the fruit unsafe to eat.
Storing avocados in water can make you ill, and it will also disrupt the fruit’s texture, so you will end up with slimy avocado slices inside your fridge.
However, covering avocados in oil is not only safer but also creates a thick barrier over the fruit flesh to protect it from oxygen and keep it fresh for much longer.
This easy storage method takes five minutes to do but will slow down spoilage and prevent bad bacteria from entering the fruit since olive oil is also known for its antimicrobial properties.
How to store avocados in five minutes
If you have a whole avocado in your kitchen, then it is better to store it at room temperature to ensure it has fully ripened, and only once it is ripe can you put it in the fridge.
Avocados produce a substance called ethylene gas that helps the fruit ripen and become more flavourful, but cold temperatures halt ethylene production completely, which can cause avocados to taste awful.
You will know an avocado is ripe and ready to cut if the stem is soft and pulls away easily. If the stem feels firm, then your avocado is still unripe and best left on your kitchen counter.
Taesha said: “Ripe avocados that are whole and have not been cut open can be stored in the refrigerator. This greatly prolongs their life and they usually stay perfectly ripe in the fridge for about three days.”
If you do not want to wait for an avocado to ripen, then place the fruit in a paper bag with a banana, as it will trap more ethylene gas to speed up the ripening process.
Once your avocado is ready to cut open and you have one slice left over, then brush it with a little oil and then wrap it tightly in clingfilm.
Store the wrapped-up avocado slice inside a container with a lid, and make sure the flesh is facing the bottom of the container. Taesha said: “Turning the avocado flesh side down instantly limits how much air can get to it.”
Taking five minutes to store avocados correctly will ensure that no air gets inside the fruit, so it stays tasty for much longer rather than becoming a slimy or mushy mess.