Did you know that many of our bestselling organic products contain avocado?? Take for instance, our Cream Cleanser, Hand and Body Lotion, Vita C Repair Cream, Organic Eye Cream or the Ultra Light Day Cream.
The Avocado Oil in these products possess anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants, which help skin stay smooth and strong. It hydrates, calms, and protects skin, too. Why are we not surprised, here? Avocados are awesome. This got some of us at Nurture My Body thinking and discussing avocados… because sometimes we’re super productive.
The conversation began with how it was annoying when the grocery store’s only selection of avocado included ones that were too hard and unripe! Oh, the waiting game that comes with the ripening of avocado. How does one speed up that process? Well, we did some helpful research because everyone should know how to enjoy avocado whenever they want.
1. Paper bag (added banana or apple, optional) - place unripe avocados in a paper bag and wrap it up tightly. Add a ripe banana to the bag to move the process along even quicker. Ripe fruit emits a hormone called ethylene, and when it gets trapped in the paper bag, it allows unripe fruit to ripen even quicker.
Have we tried it? YES! And it works like a charm. Avocados are softer after doing this overnight, and are ready to eat as soon as a day later.
2. Wrap in foil and place in oven. Remember that ethylene gas we talked about earlier? Avocados give off ethylene, too. So by wrapping them tightly in foil, their own ethylene will help them ripen. After wrapping them in foil, place them in an oven-safe dish and in the oven at 200 degrees. Check after 10 minutes to see if they’ve softened.
Have we tried it? No, but if you have, let us know how it went!
3. Microwave an unripe avocado. Prick holes in the skin of an avocado and microwave in 30 second intervals until it feels soft and ripe.
Have we tried it? No, we haven’t. Let us know if you have!
Alternatively, once your avocados are ripe, there are ways to keep them ripe, tasty and green.
- Brush the green surface of half an avocado with olive oil before sealing in an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator.
- Squeeze half of an avocado with lemon or lime juice and wrap tightly in plastic wrap; store in the refrigerator for a couple days.
- Leave the avocado pit in the guacamole. Guacamole lovers say that leaving the entire pit in the bowl of mixed guacamole prevents it from browning so quickly. Keep this in mind for Super Bowl parties or Cinco de Mayo!
- Place full, unopened avocados in the fridge. Placing them in your produce drawer will allow ripe avocados to stay ripe and fresh for many days longer than if they were simply left at room temperature.
- Store a ripe avocado with an onion in an airtight container in the fridge. The sulfur compounds in the onion will oxidize on the green surface of the avocado and slow down the browning process for a few more days.