Here's An Avocado Sock And 3 Other Hacks To Ripen Avocados

Avocados are so good when they're good — and just plain bad when they're either over-ripe, or worse, under-ripe. Your local market is probably stocked high with under-ripe avocados in order to prevent spoilage, but a lot of the time that's not very convenient. So we did a little investigating here at The Daily Meal to uncover some tricks that will help you get those rock-solid avocados guacamole-ready. It doesn't matter what type of avocado you're working with, it's all about the technique — and we've got some tricks to take your avocado to where it needs to be:

1. The Avocado Sock
The Avocado Sock is a guaranteed way to ripen your avocado, every time. The company was started by a woman named Diane Sherwood, who had a catering company in Vancouver, British Columbia. She used to line up her under-ripe avocados in old woolen socks in a drawer so they could be used on a whim for her vats of guacamole. She retired the old sock method and modernized the idea into this company.

You simply insert an under-ripe avocado into the sock, and in about 24 hours it's ready to eat! The company claims their product is superior to DIY methods: "The natural lanolin and warmth of the wool ripens the avocados evenly and gently, and faster than a paper bag."

 

2. The Paper Bag and Banana Method

The paper bag method is tried and true. All you need to do is take a brown paper bag, insert your avocado along with a banana, and loosely close the bag. Leave the bag in a warm place (like by the oven), and your avocado will be ready in a day or two.

 

3. The Oven Method

This is a fast and efficient way to ripen your avocados fast! All you need to do is take your avocado and wrap it in a bit of foil and pop it in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. This method forces the fruit to ripen much faster because of the release of ethylene gas.

 

4. The Paper Bag and Flour Method

This hack will help you ripen your avocado in less than 24 hours. Simply take a brown paper bag and fill it with plain white flour. Place your avocado in the bag, making sure it is completely submerged in the flour. It should work in about a day! 

 

There are some other ways to eat those good fats if you overdose on all your deliciously ripe avocados!