Need a Ripe Avocado Soon?
Avocados soften after harvest as they ripen. If yours is still hard, placing it in a paper bag can help concentrate naturally produced ethylene gas around the fruit and speed the process.
The Paper-Bag Method
Place the avocado in a brown paper bag and fold the top loosely closed. Adding a banana or apple can speed things further because those fruits also release ethylene as they ripen.
Check It Daily
Keep the bag at room temperature and check the avocado rather than relying on an exact timetable. It is ready when it yields gently to pressure without feeling mushy.
Once It’s Ripe
Move a ripe avocado to the refrigerator if you are not ready to eat it. Refrigeration slows further ripening and can give you more time to use it.