How to soften an avocado immediately
Making preparations in advance is necessary when a dish
calls for a perfectly ripe and velvety avocado. Still, do I? No. The likelihood
of finding a ripe avocado at that point is completely hit-or-miss. More
frequently, I decide I need that priceless avocado while purchasing groceries
for that night's meal (more often a miss).
I just discovered a suggestion, though, that offered a
simple and quick method for ripening hard avocados at home. I had to try it for
myself because it sounded like it could completely transform the game.
The
First Tip
In accordance with the original advice, an avocado should be
entirely wrapped in tin foil, put in a baking dish, and baked at 200°F for 10
minutes, or until tender.
Avocados emit ethylene gas, which eventually encourages
ripening. In a sense, the fruit is enveloped by its own ethylene gas because of
the foil wrapping. The process of ripening should proceed more quickly as the
gas becomes more concentrated over time.
There are many great delicacies served at summer cookouts
and barbecues, but in my opinion, nothing beats dishes piled high with avocados.
I frequently eat avocados, whether in guacamole or just straight out of the
skin; yet, finding them perfectly ripe may be challenging.
The variety at supermarket stores frequently varies from
extremely hard to overripe. If all that's left is unripened avocados that need
to be consumed right away, you can hasten their maturation with just 10 minutes
and a little heat.
The
Secret to Quick Avocado Ripening
Avocados, like the majority of fruits and vegetables, ripen
quickly in a warm atmosphere. Therefore, increasing the temperature will be
necessary if you want to transform an avocado from a brick to a perfect specimen in just one day. Bare Cupboard Basics, a YouTube user, advises using your
oven.
Make sure your avocado is completely covered in tin foil and that no air can escape by tightly wrapping it. Ensure that it is (or they are) tightly wrapped.
Avocados and bananas both naturally release ethylene gas.
All nearby fruits and vegetables also mature when this gas is emitted,
including avocado. The ripening chemical that the fruit emits is sent back
into its source if you merely surround the avocados with their own ethylene
gas. In essence, this forces the avocado to accelerate the process by
concentrating the gas.
Once your avocado is completely covered, place it inside a
baking dish and bake it at 200°F for a few minutes. Check on the fruit's
development after 10 minutes, or even earlier depending on how ripe it is right
now, and keep it in until it is completely mature. The fruit will get softer due to the oven's heat and the ethylene gas.
To be
consumed on its own or included in recipes?
Although this ripening technique complements the avocado's
natural process, it does result in a somewhat different flavor. Both Eat by
Date and Focus on Mexico note that it won't taste exactly like a naturally
ripened avocado because the oven's heat softens the fruit to some extent. So,
anytime you need the fruit for a recipe and you're a stickler for that
authentic avocado flavor, give this tip a try.
Try putting other fruits in your oven to ripen them if you
need to. This method for producing the ideal overripe bananas for banana bread
is recommended by Food and Wine when using bananas. In a pinch, using the oven
can help you get the desired texture and level of ripeness.
The
Test Procedure
In accordance with the original advice, I preheated my oven
to 200°F. Then I put a hard, unripe avocado in a baking dish, covered it with
foil, and put it in the oven. Every five minutes, I checked on the progress of
the avocado. After the avocado had finished baking, I took it out of the oven,
let it cool fully, then cut it in half to see the results.
The
Results
I began keeping track of the avocado's development after
five minutes. The results are as follows:
- 5 minutes: No change.
- 10 minutes: No change.
- 15 minutes: It might be
beginning to soften. But perhaps not.
- 20 minutes: No, not a bit
softer, absolutely.
- 25 minutes: No, it's not
softening up at all.
- 30 minutes: It appears to be
softening. Maybe?
- 40 minutes: It might be
slightly softening, but only a little.
- 50 minutes: Finally!
There has been some actual development, however slight.
- 60 minutes: Yes!
The avocado is actually softer. It appears to be ripe.
After the avocado had cooled completely (approximately
another 30 minutes later), I removed the foil, and it was even softer than when
I had taken it out of the oven. In order to avoid feeling lonely, I would
choose this when purchasing a ripe avocado from the supermarket.
Yes, it is soft, but the real issue is the flavor. It didn't
quite have the same taste or smooth, creamy texture that you would associate
with ripe avocado. Although it didn't taste particularly horrible, it did
have a somewhat different flavor.
Final
Remarks
If you're working with an almost-ripe avocado, this
procedure might take ten minutes, but don't anticipate ripening a rock-hard
fruit in that short of a time.
Ripe avocados have a certain flavor that I've grown
accustomed to; it's silky, creamy, buttery, and just a little rich.
Unfortunately, utilizing this approach didn't result in my getting it. Although
not horrible, the flavor reminded me of an immature avocado and wasn't really
pleasant.
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