It is not by chance that avocado occupies a place of honor in the ranking of the 10 healthiest products. Also called the crocodile pear, the beneficial taste and nutritional properties of this fruit have given it a rapid pace of popularity from Mexico to the whole world.
Avocado has an uniquely beneficial composition, including over 20 types of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, antioxidants and fiber. It has proven benefits for improving heart function, regulating cholesterol levels, regulating optimal weight, maintaining good vision and reducing the risk of bone disease.
However, to maximize avocado benefits for human health, avocados must be consumed in the right way. This means that it must be properly cleaned and above all, ripe enough for consumption.
How to Tell if an Avocado is Ripe
Contrary to most expectations, store-bought avocados are not actually ripe and must be left for some time before being eaten.
The correct period to pick avocados is when they are not yet ripe. After it is picked, the fruit continues to ripen like bananas and tomatoes. Indicators to tell if an avocado is ripe are its firmness and color.
An unripe avocado has a light green color and is firm to the touch. If you buy such an avocado, it will be good to eat after 4-5 days of storage.
The medium ripe fruit has a slightly darker green color and is relatively softer. In this case, the avocado should be stored for another 1-2 days.
A well-ripened avocado is soft to the touch and has a dark green color. It can be consumed immediately.
The overripe fruit has an almost brown color and is quite soft to the touch. Sometimes it can be consumed even then, but the taste will have undergone a change.
Use well-ripened avocados to make favorite recipes like:
- guacamole.
