Penelope Wilson
Penelope Wilson
January 26, 2016 ·  3 min read

How to make an avocado last TEN TIMES longer by FREEZING it

All avocado lovers know that their addiction to this perfect, buttery green fruit is not an affordable one. (But are addictions ever?) In any case, sourcing a sufficient flow of avocados is bound to gouge the pocketbook.

Even more unfortunate is that these delectable fruits don’t have a very long shelf life. The majority of us don’t live where these trees grow, and as such we are limited to pre-plucked market offerings. At first these have a couple days of being too hard, then a brief window of that smooth and soft, yet firm perfection (and these are what the avocado connoisseur lives for,) and then, all too soon, they turn to overripe mush.

Many avocado admirers bemoan the sad fact that stocking up on these fruits while they are in season is not an option due to this ripening progression. We can only make so many batches of waistline-busting, cancer-fighting chocolate avocado cookies to use up our nearly overdone produce.

But, no longer. Let all avocado devotees rejoice! Gone are the days of curbing your cravings for this budget heavy delight. The next time you find them for an excellent price, go ahead and stock up.

Avocado 101 and How to Freeze

How to store an avocado

  • Ripen at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Ripen quicker beside bananas or apples or even quicker in a paper bag.
  • Move ripe avocado to the refrigerator up to three days or freeze.

How to cut open an avocado

  • Wash the outside.
  • Slice in half length wise and give a slight twist and pull a part.
  • Begin to slice the side without the pit first .Using a butter knife, make length wise slices right inside the skin. Remove the slices with a regular size spoon by detaching the skin from the flesh OR slice again in the opposite direction for salad cubes or easier mashing and proceed to remove.
  • For the pitted side, using a large chef knife, carefully tap the edge into the pit to make it “stuck.”
  • Give it a slight twist to remove pit and proceed to cut the same as the first half.
  • If you’re not using the pit half, brush with lemon or lime juice, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

How  to freeze avocado

  • Slice, remove pit and keep halves in the skin {helps preserve the flesh}
  • Brush lemon or lime juice on the halves.
  • Place in gallon size freezer bag and use DIY vacuum seal {straw and lungs} to remove air.
  • Freeze and remove one at at a time. DIY vacuum seal each time for optimal freshness.
  • Thaw overnight and give a slight squeeze and they’ll detach easily from skin for any recipe.

Now you know the scoop on avocado. You can stock up when they’re under a $1. I’ve heard reports as high as $3 each in the off season. I would do without rather than paying the higher prices. I definitely stock up when they are .49 and I’ve found them as low as .25.

Some will say frozen avocados are best for guacamole. Pink Sugar Bowl readers suggest spraying edges with cooking spray to prevent browning, though I haven’t tried this myself.

Fresh avocado slices are divine on triple bean veggie burgers or black bean burgers, both from the freezer. Mash your frozen avocado into a tasty guacamole or pico de gallo with avocado cubes. It’s the healthiest tastiest addition to any meal.

Will you freeze avocados now?