4 Easy Ways to Preserve Fresh Avocados

Even when in season, avocados are pricey, making you want to stock up on these fantastic fruits when they are on sale. While delicious, these beneficial fruits are tricky, so learning how to preserve avocados is a must.

By preserving avocados, you no longer run the risk of the fully ripened fruit turning into a mushy mess. There are numerous ways to preserve fresh avocados. No matter which method you choose, make sure you know how to select the best ones.

Like other fruits, avocados won’t start ripening until they are harvested. Fresh avocados are rock hard with unblemished skin and feel heavy.

Stay away from fruits with soft spots, bruises, and loose pits. Shake the fruit gently to see if you can feel the pit moving. Always buy avocados a few days before you plan to use them so they can ripen at home.

Easy Ways to Preserve Avocados

Whether you are growing avocados yourself or benefitted from a great sale at the store, you need to know what to do with them. Now that you have some avocados, you may wonder can avocados go bad. Just like all other produce, avocados do spoil, although it can sometimes be difficult to tell without cutting them open.

Store your unripe avocados in a dark, cool place. Keep the temperature around 68°F. Under these ideal conditions, the fruit will ripen in a few days. To speed up ripening, place them inside a paper bag.

Do you know how to tell if an avacado is ripe? Ripe avocados are almost black and have a little give when you press on the skin.

Preserving Avocados in the Refrigerator

You can keep ripe, uncut avocados safely in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, just like how to keep peppers fresh and many other vegetables and fruits.

Store unpeeled avocados in the crisper drawer. Putting unpeeled avocados in the fridge too soon slows down the ripening process.

Once cut, the avocado flesh quickly turns brown. This doesn’t make avocados inedible, but it doesn’t look very appetizing. To slow the oxidation process, brush the exposed fruit with lemon juice. Wrap the avocado halves with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

How to Preserve Avocados in the Freezer

Freezing is the best way to preserve avocados, but it must be done correctly. Freeze guacamole avocados to have ready for your next Mexican meal.

We don’t recommend freezing whole, sliced, diced, or cubed avocados. Instead, mash or puree them before freezing.

Cut the ripe avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Add it to a food processor with one tablespoon of lemon or lime juice for every two avocados. The citric juice prevents discoloration.

Blend until smooth and then transfer to freezer bags or airtight containers. If you are using freezer bags, remove excess air before closing. Don’t overfill the bags – leave about one inch of space to allow the puree to expand as it freezes.

Ice cube trays work great to freeze small portions of pureed avocado or for storing lemon juice if you have extra.

Scoop avocado puree into the tray and then freeze. Once frozen, remove the tray and transfer the avocado cubes into freezer bags. Label and date the bags before returning to the freezer.

You can freeze mashed avocado, but not everybody recommends it. To freeze it, mash the fruit by hand rather than with a food processor. To store avocados long term, add them to the freezer for up to six months.

Preserving Avocados through Pickling

Pickling is a great way to preserve fresh ginger, zucchini, or avocados. When pickling avocados, use ones that are just starting to ripen; you want firm flesh. Store the pickled avocados in the fridge for up to one week.

How you prepare your avocados for pickling is up to you, just like when preserving peaches or other foods. Slice your avocadoes lengthwise if you wish to eat them straight from the jar. Cube them to use as toppings on salads. When preparing them, all that matters is they fit inside the jar.

Pour all of your pickling ingredients into a saucepan. You can add other spices for flavor, including coriander or mustard seeds, fresh herbs, and garlic. Bring it to a boil and frequently stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.

Let the solution cool to room temperature. Place the prepared avocados into two canning jars and cover them with the pickling liquid. Close the jars and place them inside the fridge. Let them chill for two hours before serving and use within a week of storing.

How to use Frozen Avocado

Once thawed, the texture of your frozen avocado changes. Most people prefer to use the thawed avocado in something else rather than eat it plain. Two of our favorite avocado recipes are guacamole and avocado toast.

Other ways to use it are in salad dressings and smoothies. To defrost frozen avocado, place in the fridge overnight or allow it to sit at room temperature for up to one hour.

Thank you for reading about the various ways to preserve avocados. If you found any of our suggestions for preserving avocados useful, please share on Facebook and Pinterest for others to learn how to preserve avocados correctly.