How to choose an avocado!

Avocado lovers, rejoice! High-quality Australian avocados like Hass avocados are now available in Singapore. These deliciously creamy yet healthy superfruits have made their way to many of our favourite brunch recipes. But it can be frustrating cutting into an avocado only to reveal that the inside is overly ripe – or rock solid! Here are some easy tips on how to choose an avocado and ripen it, so you can enjoy a perfectly ripe one every time.

Why Australian avocados?

Australian avocados are grown year-round, so you know you’re receiving fresh avocados straight from Aussie farms to your plate. Rich in vitamin B to fight fatigue and monounsaturated fats that support heart health, Australian avocados are a real superfood to always have in your kitchen.

Hass avocados

Available in supermarkets now are the Hass variety of avocado, which has an oval shape with textured pebbly skin and a creamy texture. You can easily tell if your avocado is ready for eating by looking at the skin colour and feeling the firmness of the fruit. The two questions to ask yourself are:

• Is the skin purple-black? Hass avocados change colour from green when it’s unripe, to purple-black when ripe, so it should be easy to tell which avocado to pick out of your fruit bowl first.
• Is the top of the avocado soft? Gently press the top of the avocado near the stem to check if it’s soft.

When the avocado is soft with a purple-black exterior, it’s ready to be eaten. If it feels firm and its skin is green-black, wait for one to two days. If it’s hard and olive green in colour, it’s best to wait for two to three days.

How to ripen an avocado

The best way to store your avocados is in a fruit bowl on your kitchen bench. They will ripen over time, but you can speed things up; just place unripe avocados in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana or apple for two to three days. The plant hormone ethylene, which occurs naturally in fruits like apples and bananas, triggers the ripening process. Once ripe, you can place the whole avocado in the fridge to maintain the optimum ripeness for two to three days until you’re ready to use it.

Only using half an avocado? No problem. Wrap up the other half with cling wrap or beeswax wrap to remove any air and store in the fridge to lengthen its shelf life. To prevent the flesh from browning, sprinkle lemon juice or vinegar on the cut avocado before sealing it and storing in the fridge.

You can shop for Australian avocados at major supermarkets in Singapore, including NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage and Little Farms.

Written in collaboration with Taste Australia. For more information and recipe inspiration, visit Taste Australia Singapore on Instagram or Facebook.

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