Surprising tricks to ripen an avocado in just minutes

Picking a perfectly ripe avocado off the shelf is so tricky, but leaving it more than a day at home can often push it the other way too.

So what do you do when you need a ripe avocado quickly, but all you’ve got is one that’s way too firm?

There are some amazing tricks to speed up the ripening process, and get your avocado ready to eat in less than a day. In fact, some internet users claim the handy hacks can ripen an avocado in just 10 minutes, whether it be for guacamole or just to eat on its own.

YouTube user Bare Cupboard Basics posted a video showing her trying out one of the tricks, claiming nothing but some strong heat is needed.

So just how do you ripen your favourite food so quickly?

In the oven

Avocados don’t begin to ripen until they’re picked from the tree and are in a warm environment, so it’s essential to keep them heated to speed up the process.

A good way to try it out for yourself is to wrap up your avocados in some tin foil, ensuring no air can escape in or out. An avocado lets out ethylene gas that helps ripen other fruits surrounding it, so by enclosing it, the gas can’t escape anywhere else.

Place the foil-wrapped avo in your oven at 90°C for 10 minutes before testing it, and you can then assess if it need longer in the heat or not.

There is a downside to this process however, as it can affect the taste, making it slightly different to an avocado that has ripened naturally, so it’s a better option if you’re using the fruits as part of a larger recipe, rather than if you want to enjoy the pure avocado taste.

Paper bag and fruit

Another handy trick to speed up nature is to place an avocado in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana, (or even both).

The fruits let off ethylene gas which, added to the avo’s own ethylene output, will help ripen the avocado more quickly than usual.

Read more: How to pick a ripe avocado every time

Fold up the paper bag and leave it for a day if you have the time. If not, add a few more apples and bananas to try to speed the process along even more.

Hair dryer

In a similar method to the oven, a hair dryer can ensure the avocados get concentrated heat to soften up quickly.

By wrapping the fruit in tin foil, you can aim a hair dryer at it without damaging it, and it should begin to soften in 10 to 15 minutes – a great trick if you’re eating on the go or are in a rush.

Have you tried any of these ripening techniques? Did you have any luck? What else would you recommend?