How to store avocados

We reveal how to store avocados to keep them fresh and prevent overripening

how to store avocado
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Knowing how to store avocados is essential if you're looking to make the most of this super tasty fruit (bet you didn't know that the avocado is a fruit?). After all, avocados aren't exactly cheap, so you'll want to ensure they're enjoyed to their full potential, while also reducing your food waste.

We've all experienced the frustration of discovering that our 'ripe and ready' avocados are anything but, or that the avocado we bought just yesterday is already over-ripe. So, we're here to teach you how to store avocados so that they ripen as quickly – or slowly – as you would like.

For more advice and recipe inspiration, head over to our food hub page.

How to store avocados

The first step is to asses the current state of your avocados. If you're able to remove the stem with ease, and it gives slightly with a gentle squeeze, it means it's pretty ripe. Either use within the next day or so, or jump to read our tips on storing avocados in the fridge to preserve it for a little longer.

Avocado feeling a little firm? Step away from the fridge, this avocado belongs in the fruit bowl where it will ripen over the next three to six days.

Want to speed up the ripening process? Place your avocados in a paper bag alongside a banana or two. Check on it every day to track progress.

How to store half an avocado

Used half an avocado? Don't let the other half go to waste – pop it in the fridge and make use of it over the next couple of days. Either leave your half avocado as it is, put it in your salad drawer, place in an airtight container, or wrap in a reusable bees wax wrap – we wouldn't recommend cling film as this single use plastic will go straight to landfill. 

Storing avocados in the fridge

Avocado in perfect condition, or ripened quicker than you might have liked? Slow down the ripening process by placing in the fridge. This doesn't mean your avocado will last forever, but it will give you a couple of extra days to get around to using it.

We've got avo-mania:

Emily Shaw

Emily first (temporarily) joined the Real Homes team while interning on her summer break from university. After graduating, she worked on several publications before joining Real Homes as Staff Writer full time in mid-2018. She left the brand in 2020 to pursue another career, but still loves a second-hand bargain and sourcing unique finds to make her rented flat reflect her personality.

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