How to read the ripeness of an avocado

The subtle and refined flavor of the avocado will be appropriate in many dishes, from various salads to desserts. Its gastronomic perfection and richness in a variety of minerals and vitamins are only a small part of its valuable qualities.

Useful properties are inherent only in ripe fruits that are ripe and are a quality food product. For most consumers, this fruit is no longer a tropical guest or exotic, but an everyday fruit. But many do not even know how to choose the right avocado on the supermarket shelf. This article will detail how and what you should pay attention to when choosing such an exotic fruit.

Useful information about the avocado

The avocado is a pear shaped fruit, which can reach up to 20 centimeters in length and up to 2 kilograms in weight! There is a pit in the very center, which should not be consumed.

Remember! One should not eat the avocado leaves, avocado seed or avocado peel, because there is a toxic substance inside these components, which can cause considerable harm to human health.

Avocado oil can be consumed. It is quite healthy because its vitamin D content is much higher than that of chicken eggs or butter.

The avocado has a great use in vegetarian cooking, where the fruit has been used to add to rolls.

In medicine, this fruit is used for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, the most suitable for the prevention of pathologies of the stomach and liver.

The avocado fruit can be grown on its own in room conditions. To do this, you need to remove the outer part of the shell of the seed. Planting is recommended to a depth of up to 3 centimeters from the surface of the ground. The maturation period of the sprout is one to two weeks.

The taste of the avocado itself can be different - from creamy with a flavor of greenery to nutty. But only ripe soft fruits have this taste.

Chemical Composition and Benefits

It is easy enough to meet on the shelves of retail chains an under-ripe or overripe fruit. But what about those consumers who want to make the right choice in favor of quality avocados?

Only the pulp of the fruit can be eaten. The pulp contains a lot of useful substances, vitamins B, C, A, K, E, folic acid, as well as many useful mineral compounds: phosphorus, copper, sodium, iodine and iron. This fruit is great for those who want to lose weight the natural way, as there are easily digestible groups of fats inside that eliminate cholesterol.

In addition, avocados are great for people who have problems with the nervous system, since inside the fruit is heptulose, which reduces drowsiness and invigorates the body.

One avocado fruit contains the following beneficial substances:

• About 72 g of drinking water - that's about 3 percent of your daily allowance.
• About 2 g of protein is about 2.5% of the daily norm.
• About 15 g of fat is about 23% of the daily allowance.
• About 2 g of carbohydrates is about 1.5% of the daily norm.

Hence, the final energy value of the avocado fruit is 670 kJ, which is 11.5% of the daily norm. And 160 kcal is 11.5% of the norm per day.

Selection advice

Over- or under-ripening of the fruit is due to long transportation. In transit, avocados can over-ripen, under-ripen, or simply rot.

There are a number of specific features and criteria for choosing a quality avocado.

The color and density of the fruit.

The first characteristic that is most pronounced in the avocado is its color. The hue can be different and ranges from black to light green tones. Quality and tasty fruit can be both in the first case, and in the second. The key requirement in its choice is a harmonious combination of both color and density. Below we will tell you in detail how this fruit should be evaluated.

Density
Remember, when buying an avocado, you have to feel it. This is mandatory, because the color can be seen immediately, but the density can only be determined by palpation. If it is a large retail chain or hypermarket, then there the fruit is just lying on the shelves, and no one prevents to feel the fruit. And if it is a small market, there may be some difficulty in choosing a quality avocado. But remember, you just can't buy this fruit blindly. It is better to walk to the nearest supermarket and buy an avocado there, if the market suddenly did not allow you to touch the fruit.

Touching the fruit has its own subtleties and nuances, which should be observed. So, look immediately at the color and density of the fruit. If you plan to eat an avocado on the day of purchase, it is better to choose a fruit with a dark green color and moderately soft density. If the fruit is too hard and has light colors, then such a fruit will last about 5 days without any problems. Below will be the main combinations of color and density of avocados, as well as painted indicator of the final quality:

1. The color of the fruit is light green. The density is firm. Quality: this fruit is definitely not ripe yet. You can buy this fruit and leave it in a light place for a final ripening for 5 days. If you eat it the same day you buy it, it will taste tart.
2. The color of the fruit is moderately green. The density is firm. Quality: this fruit is not mature enough, you need to let it ripen for 3 days. It still has the same astringent flavor, but it is milder than the one described above.
3. The color of the fruit is deep green. The density is soft. Quality: you need to let it ripen for a couple of days. Then the avocado will become much softer, and the taste will be more subtle and sweet.
4. The color of the fruit is dark green. The density is firm. Quality: Here you should choose "Kaas" or "California" varieties. They are more expensive, but with an extra 3 to 5 days of ripening, the taste will be just right.
5. The color of the fruit is dark green. The density of the fruit is quite soft. Quality: this fruit is definitely overripe. Do not buy this avocado, as all the useful substances and properties have long since been lost. Such combinations of color and density indicate rotting.

If you choose the right avocado correctly, you can be 100% sure that this fruit will be ripe and quite tasty, as well as suitable for absolutely all culinary ideas. If you plan to make salads or dressing sauces, you can also take very soft avocados, which will not have any dark areas. They indicate either mechanical damage to the fruit, or the beginning of the processes of rotting inside. If, on the other hand, you are planning to make rolls, medium ripeness avocados are an excellent choice. Remember that when added to salads or any other dishes, this fruit should not overpower the taste of the other ingredients.

Helpful Tip! If you need to choose the right avocado quickly, the technique of shaking the fruit is a good one. If the pit taps inside the fruit when you shake it, the fruit is 100% ripe.

Skin features

The detection of various white or black spots on the avocado is an alarm bell that it is necessary to immediately put aside such a fruit. There should not be any visible spots or growths on the surface, and the skin itself should have a uniform structure.

If the surface is smooth and slightly shiny, this indicates that the avocado has a rather large pit (core) inside, and the skin can only be removed with a knife. In addition, a considerable part of the useful pulp will be removed.

If the surface has a wrinkled texture, this is the main indicator that the avocado is ripe and the choice is correct. This is the structure of the peel surface, which can be removed easily without the help of a knife, and does not affect the useful part of the avocado in any way. The size of the pit will be much smaller than in the case described above. The most suitable variant of an avocado is when a light pressure with the finger will leave a small indentation on the surface of the fruit, which gradually disappears. This is the main indicator that such an avocado can be eaten immediately.

Features of the stalk

The last feature by which you can identify a ripe avocado is exactly the stalk. It can suggest the internal structure of the fruit - whether the avocado inside is healthy or rotten. If you find a stalk, you need to remove it. This is easy enough and will not cause any problems, as it is easily detached from the fruit.

There will be a small dent where the stalk was, which will be the main indicator when choosing an avocado. You should determine the color of the dent. A healthy and ripe avocado can vary in color from light brown to light yellow. Unripe fruit will stand out with shades of lettuce. Such avocados are best set aside for a couple of days for additional ripening.

If the avocado is quite hard and the color of the stalk varies from dark brown to black, then such a fruit is definitely rotten on the inside. A soft fruit, however, with shades of stalk from brown to yellow, indicates that the avocado is 100% ripe and delicious.

It is these little nuances and features that will help many consumers decide on their choice at markets and retailers. These tricks can be used by both novice consumers and experienced chain regulars. The only differences will remain in the culinary delights of consumers, as well as the intended use of avocados for one need or another.

Avocado storage

The ideal place to store this fruit is in the refrigerator. To bring the avocado to the right ripeness, simply put it next to other fruits, such as a banana or lemon, and create the right room conditions to ripen it.

If the flesh is darkening, however, you can sprinkle lemon juice on the surface of the fruit, which will slow the process considerably. When cut, it is advisable to keep the fruit for a short time in the refrigerator, as due to the high fat content inside the avocado spoils quickly.