How to Tell if an Avocado Is Ripe (and Ripen a Hard One)
How to tell if an avocado is ripe by feel, why skin color isn't enough, and how to ripen a hard avocado or hold a ripe one, with extension-service sources.
A ripe avocado yields to gentle pressure in the palm of your hand without feeling mushy. Skin color can help on Hass avocados, which darken as they ripen, but pressure is the more reliable test. If it's rock hard, leave it on the counter for a few days.
Here is how to tell if an avocado is ripe, how to speed up a hard one, and what to do when it's ready before you are. A ripe avocado you can't use today belongs in the fridge, and our avocado storage page covers what happens after you cut it.
How to tell if an avocado is ripe: the four stages
The University of Wyoming Extension says ripeness is determined by pressure, independent of color. Hold the avocado in your palm and squeeze gently with your whole hand.
| Stage | How it feels | What the inside is like | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unripe | Firm, doesn't yield, often bright green | Hard | Leave on the counter |
| Breaking (almost ripe) | Softer but doesn't quite give | Firm, hard to mash, seed hard to remove | One or two more days at room temperature |
| Ripe | Yields to gentle pressure, slightly soft | Creamy | Eat it, or refrigerate if not today |
| Overripe | Very mushy, deep dents | Dark yellow or brownish flesh throughout | Toss it |
The stages and the one-to-two-day window for a breaking avocado come from the same University of Wyoming Extension page.
Does skin color tell you an avocado is ripe?
Only partly. Hass skin turns from green to black as it ripens, and UC Davis lists that color change as a ripening index for Hass. Michigan State University Extension adds that color varies by variety, so don't count on a color change in every kind. Use color to narrow your pick, then confirm with a gentle squeeze.
How do you check an avocado without bruising it?
Use all your fingers in the palm of your hand. UC Cooperative Extension in Ventura County says not to press with your thumb, because that causes discoloration and bruised spots. For thick-skinned avocados where softness is hard to judge, the same page suggests removing the button at the stem and sliding a toothpick in: if the flesh is soft, it's ready.
How do you ripen an avocado faster?
Put it in a plain brown paper bag at room temperature. Adding an apple or banana speeds things up because those fruits give off ethylene gas, a ripening agent, according to University of Wyoming Extension. Keep unripe avocados out of the fridge: the same source notes avocados are quickly damaged by cold.
If you're shopping ahead, the University of Wyoming suggests buying firm avocados four to five days before you need them.
What should you do with a ripe avocado you can't use today?
Refrigerate it. UC Davis lists 36 to 40°F as the best temperature for ripe avocados, and UC Cooperative Extension says a softened avocado can be held in the refrigerator for a few more days. USDA's FoodKeeper data puts a ripe avocado at 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Once you cut one open, air browns the flesh through oxidation. Lemon or lime juice and tight wrapping slow that down, and you can scrape off a brown top layer, per University of Wyoming Extension.
When is an avocado too far gone?
An overripe avocado feels very mushy, may have deep indentations, and has darker yellow or brownish flesh all the way through. A spoiled one smells rancid. Mold is the other deal breaker. USDA's mold guidance says soft fruit with high moisture content (it names peaches, cucumbers and tomatoes) can be contaminated below the surface and should be discarded, and that you shouldn't sniff moldy food. It doesn't name avocados, so we apply the same rule by analogy. When in doubt, throw it out.
Keep ripe produce from slipping past you
Add what you buy to Well Stockd and fresh fridge and pantry food gets an estimated expiration date based on typical shelf life, so the food closest to going off sorts to the top. Try it free. If you're comparing options, see our guide to apps that track expiration dates. For more on how long common foods last, start with our shelf-life guide.
Related guides
- How to tell if a mango is ripe
- How to tell if a pineapple is ripe
- How to tell if a cantaloupe is ripe
FAQ
Can you ripen an avocado in the fridge?
No. Cold slows ripening and can damage a hard avocado. UC Davis reports chilling injury and failure to ripen after long cold exposure. Ripen it on the counter, then refrigerate once it's ready.
How long does an avocado take to ripen?
It depends on the fruit. A breaking avocado needs a day or two at room temperature, while UC Cooperative Extension says softening takes a few days to a week depending on maturity, storage temperature and variety.
Is a firm avocado with a dark skin ripe?
Not necessarily. Dark skin on a Hass is a hint, but only pressure confirms it. A dark avocado that doesn't yield is still breaking, not ripe.