Packed with vitamins E and B6, avocados are delicious. They’re the creaminess in our smoothie, the butter on our toast and are totally healthy. But the thing with avocados is that they can be very finicky—turning brown and just looks bad, stringy on the inside, with blackish patch or just rock hard. So to avoid bad luck picking up an avocado for your next breakfast toast, here are few tips on choosing a good avocado.
1. Look for the shape
Look for avocados that have an elongated shape like a pear, instead of round and plump. The longer ones may look smaller but they actually have a smaller pit, meaning more creamy avocado goodness inside!
2. Look for the color
A bright green skin, free of any dark patch is what you’re looking for. Black patches on the skin are sign of overripeness as well as bruising. If not bright green, it is still preferable to have an uniform shade than a bright green avocado full of dark spots.
3. Check the texture
To really be able to tell you should just touch the avocado. The flesh beneath the skin shouldn’t be rock hard but not to mushy too. If you squeeze it lightly with your fingers your shouldn’t be able to leave a mark.
4. Look at the stem
If you plan to eat it quickly, pick a soft avocado and bump out the stem on the top. If it’s green, it means it’s good to go. If it’s brown, choose another one.
Bonus tips:
- If you’re making guacamole, choose a softer avocado. It will turn brown anyway, but it guarantees a super creamy and rich texture.
- Try this trick to ripen an avocado quickly: Wrap in newspaper, and put in the oven—without turning it on, like some bloggers suggested. They’ll mature in a few hours, or in a day.
