Is That Avocado Ripe and Ready? Here’s How to Tell.

The avocado is a nutritious and delicious food, but to get the best flavor out of it, you have to cut it open when it’s nice and ripe. Avocados that are cut open too early are still hard on the inside, while avocados that are cut open too late are brown, both of which ruin the taste. Before you slice into that avocado, there’s one simple hack you can do to make sure it’s perfectly ripe. According to Home Hacks, it’s all about using the stem when you check the avocado’s ripeness. Simply peel off that little stem on the top of the avocado and take a look underneath. If it’s green, your avocado is good to go. If it’s brown, the avocado is too ripe.

The Kitchn mentions that how easily the stem comes off is also an indicator of whether the avocado is ripe. If it doesn’t come off or pulling it off is difficult, the avocado isn’t ripe yet.

What if you want to buy avocados but don’t plan to cut them right away? Avocado Central recommends that you inspect the color and feel of the avocado to determine its ripeness.

Generally, bright green avocados take about four to five days to ripen. Once they reach a mix of green and brown, they’re one to two days away. Dark avocados are typically ripe. However, color alone isn’t always a reliable indicator of ripeness, so you should also check the feel.

Hold the avocado in your hand, and give it a gentle squeeze without your fingertips to avoid bruising it. If it yields a bit, it’s ripe. If it’s still solid, it needs a couple days to ripen. If it feels mushy, toss it away, that avocado is too ripe.Choosing your avocados carefully ensures you always get a yummy treat. For more cool kitchen hacks, check out how to re-grow these 7 vegetables in your kitchen!