Avocado is increasingly used in modern cooking, and now every housewife will definitely have at least one recipe with the participation of this fruit. They called the avocado that way, apparently because of its egg-shaped shape, since in translation from the language of the ancient Aztecs, “ahuacat” means nothing more than “egg tree”. In addition, avocado has several additional names – midshipmen oil, for example, or alligator pear. Avocados actually have a unique flavor, but in order to enjoy them, you need to know how to choose and store them properly.
How to store avocados properly
How to store an avocado and what it should look like when you buy it depends on when you intend to use it. If the avocado is planned to be consumed directly on the day of purchase, then it must be absolutely ripe. Such fruits are slightly soft to the touch, and when pressed, they leave a small dent. As a rule, the flesh of a ripe avocado is soft, it can be compared to butter that has begun to melt. From a ripe avocado, it is enough to simply remove the dense green skin, as well as from boiled potatoes.
Storage temperature
Ripe avocados should be stored in the refrigerator at 4-6 ° C, and a dark place with a temperature of 19-22 ° C is suitable for ripening.
How long can an avocado be stored when fully ripe? If the temperature in the freshness zone of the refrigerator is at least 6 ° C, then the avocado may well stay there for three to five days. Anyone who until this moment did not know how to store an avocado in the refrigerator must have noticed that a ripe fruit on the 6th day begins to darken and lose its flavor. Therefore, like any fruit or vegetable, it is recommended to use a ripe avocado as soon as possible so that it does not spoil.
Where to store an avocado if it is not yet ripe? This can be done anywhere where the air temperature is between 19 – 23 ° C. An unripe “alligator pear” can sing for two to three weeks. If you leave the avocado to ripen in the refrigerator, it is recommended to wrap it in paper.
How to store a cut avocado
It is also important to know how to store a cut avocado, because often you have to use not all of the fruit in the recipe. So, if you leave a dish of avocado or a cut avocado on the table or in the open air at home, then it can oxidize and darken. The dish will immediately lose its attractive appearance, and the cut fruit will look spoiled. How to store an avocado at home when guests have not yet arrived and it is too early to sit down at the table? The natural color of this fruit is easy to maintain with lemon juice and ascorbic acid, but this is done solely to prevent browning. But the reaction of the cut avocado to the connection with air will not affect the taste and beneficial properties. However, a cut avocado can be briefly covered with paper or cling film, and left on the table, excluding the access of oxygen,