I have been doing Atkins since January and I really love avocados. I read the kitchen thread about all the wonderful things you all do with avocados and I can't help but wonder- is it just me? Why do I have a hard time determining if they're ripe or not? It's like a grab bag. Half the time I cut them open and they're rotten inside and they're not even very soft outside. The other half of the time they never seem to get ripe and then seem to rot from the inside but stay hard outside. Once in a great while I will get one that's just right but it's just luck. I have the best luck ordering something with avocado in a restaraunt. Somehow they always have ripe avocados on hand. What's the trick? Is it the selection in my area or what?
I always seem to loose more weight when I have the avocado's on a regular basis, they do so well at making me full and I'm sure the fat helps. But It seems that I only really get to eat every 3rd of 4th one that I buy and they're not cheap!!! Thanks. Annie

try buying them when the skin just turned black but they are still too hard and leave them out on the counter for a couple of days. Do not refrigerate! They should be a little soft but not mushy when they are ready. Also make sure you pic avocados with the little stem still on.

good luck

Here's some information on how to tell a ripe avocado from the California Avocado Commission .. http://www.avocado.org/about/2000_23.php?sd=about

Only Hass variety avocadoes turn black .. Florida avocados and some others remain bright green.


Doreen

Aha! I am 60 years old, love avocados, and just last year learned how to care for them. A friend of mine serves them in one form or another for lunch whenever I'm at her house, and they are always perfect. Mine mostly turned rotten in a day or two.

So finally, I asked her how she did that. (I'd also heard the part about not refrigerating them) She said, just buy them when the skin has started getting dark and stick them in the fridge.

It works. You can leave them there for as long as a month and they are always perfectly ripe. I'm amazed.

Sorry, this goes against traditional wisdom but it works.

Kay

Thanks so much. I can't wait to go check out the site after my kids go to sleep. I seem to have worse problems with the dark bumpy ones and better luck with the lighter green smooth ones. But sometimes even those are rotten inside. What's really funny is that one time I was certain that one was ripe and cut into it to find out it wasn't. I was so frustrated cuz I had already wasted so much $ on bad ones that I figured I might as well stick it back together cuz I had nothing to loose. So I kept the seed in and wrapped it in plastic and in a few days it was ripe. The only problem was that I had to scrape the top layer off cuz it got exposed to the air and turned brown but it was only on the surface. Reminds me of the time I tried to microwave a peach on low to ripen it when I moved away from home as a teenager. hehe It obvioiusly didn't work but it was fun trying. Annie

Tarheel, I may try that. Can't hurt. My mom always says to wrap them in a paper bag but if I do that I forget they're there. I guess there must be alot of OLD avocados in the store then cuz I see alot of dark ones. Hmmmm, I'll have to pay more attention to the color and pick a lighter one and watch it. I always thought it had to do with how hard/soft they were. Guess I was wrong. BTW- I like your paschal candle, where did you find it? Annie

I know. Everyone always says to ripen them in a brown paper bag. But it doesn't work for me. I'm talking Hass avocados here. Just put them in your refrigerator and they will keep fine for weeks. I didn't believe it either until I tried it. You should buy the ones that yield a bit to slight pressure.

Kay

I immediately called my mom and told her what you said and she's going to try it too. She asked me if it was the dark bumpy ones or the green smooth ones. I'll have to go hit that website after the kiddos are in bed and see which ones the Hass are. All I know is you've given me hope. Yum. I could eat those til the cows come home. I love them plain with salt and also on chicken club sandwiches (which I'll have to try on Atkins bread (toasted) or something. I don't like those low carb tortillas- unless there's great taco meat inside. (the spices cover up the flavor) hehe But I may try that pizza crust recipe I saw posted that's made with low carb tortillas. Now to figure out a decent tasting pizza sauce that's low carb. Hmmm, Annie

Like bananas, the darker the avocado, the riper it is. Just because some avocados turn brown on the inside does not mean they are rotten. If they are truly rotten they will stink. They turn brown because they are close to the seed. I used to live in Hawaii and also Florida and grew my own avocados.

Question: what are the brown string like areas that I sometimes find ( usually in the ones that I think are perfect)

Lindym,
I think it's something that happens in "Seattle" Avocados, hehe. I see them alot and I'm from the same area. They're probably fault lines or from rain damage. Actually, on a more serious note.. I wish we could grow them here cuz the great tasting when you find good ones. Annie