The best way to prevent an avocado from turning brown

Avocados are the best – not only are they incredibly delicious, they’re also filled with a lot of nutrients. 

However, avocados tend to ripen so quickly, that we’re often left with brown and slimy versions of the yummy fruit. And there’s nothing more frustrating than throwing away perfectly good food! But this nifty trick will keep your avocados fresher and tastier for longer, and all you need is an onion. 

Storing an avocado with an onion as soon as you cut it will slow down the ripening process and keep your avocado fresh. Avocados, like many other fruits, turn brown and soft while they ripen. Without storing correctly, the fruit oxidises when exposed to air, causing it to ripen faster.

So, how does an onion prevent this? Sulfar dioxide is a compound used to preserve fruits and sulfar is also a component found in onions, thus putting the two together slows down the ripening process.

Next time you cut an avocado, place the leftover half in an airtight container with a cut-up onion and store in the fridge – it’s that easy! The best part is, it also works for guacamole. Scattering some chopped onion (used in the recipe) over the top will keep your delicious dip fresher for longer. Just make sure to stir in the onion before serving. 

If it’s too late and the avocados are too ripe, don’t fret, you can still enjoy the avocado (if it doesn’t gross you out too much!). If you can successfully scrape away any brown bits and there’s still green, there’s hope. However, despite how green it is underneath, if the avocado doesn’t smell right, don’t eat it! 

Have you tried this method before? How do you store avocados? Do you have any tips to keep them fresher for longer?