How to Pick a Ripe Avocado
Cradle it in your palm and squeeze gently — a ripe avocado gives a little but isn't mushy. Don't poke it with a fingertip; that just bruises the spot you press.
Don't trust color alone
Dark skin is a hint, not a promise — it varies by variety and can lie. The feel in your whole hand is far more reliable than the shade.
The stem trick
Flick off the little stem nub at the top. Green underneath means it's perfectly ripe. Brown underneath means it's gone too far inside.
Buying ahead
Buy firm ones and let them ripen at home over a few days. To hurry it, tuck them in a paper bag with a banana or apple — the natural ethylene gas ripens them faster.
Storing
Once ripe, the fridge holds them a few days. A cut avocado keeps better with the pit left in and a squeeze of lemon or lime over the surface.
Buy a couple at different firmnesses — one ripe for today, one hard for the weekend. Avocados wait for no one.