How to properly store avocados at home to ripen and not spoil

Avocado is considered a component of a healthy diet. Its popularity is due to its rich, creamy texture and mild flavor. There are dozens of varieties of the fruit, differing in size, color and texture. All of them grow in tropical climates.

Gastroenterologist at the Medical On Group clinic in Podolsk.

“Avocado is considered one of the most popular products due to its richest composition. Its scientific name is Persea americana translated as “Persea americana”. In appearance it resembles a nut, but in chemical composition it is more like a vegetable.”

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Benefits of avocados

The caloric value of this fruit is 160 calories per 100 grams of product, while the average fruit without the seed and peel weighs about 180-200 grams. Avocado belongs to dietary products due to the fact that it contains unsaturated fatty acids.

Such a useful composition will help to balance the diet. This fruit is great for dietary nutrition, reduces weight and blood cholesterol.

The main health benefits of avocado:

1. Rich nutritional composition. The fruit is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and folic acid. It also contains more soluble fiber than other fruits and a number of beneficial minerals including iron, copper and potassium.

2. Protection against cardiovascular disease. Avocados are high in fats. 60% of them are monounsaturated fats. Studies show that they help prevent heart disease and lower blood pressure. The fruit is also high in potassium, folic acid and fiber, which are good for the cardiovascular system.

3. Lowering cholesterol. The oils found in avocados include oleic and linoleic acids. These unsaturated fats help control blood cholesterol levels.

4. Appetite regulation. Although avocados are high in calories, the fat and fiber content of the fruit induces a feeling of satiety, which helps regulate appetite. Therefore, even a small portion of it will prevent you from overeating.

5. Positive effects on eye health. Avocado is a rich source of protective vitamin E, as well as carotenes that keep your eyes healthy.

Avocado Harms

Some sensitive people may be allergic to avocados. It can be caused by a cross-reaction to birch pollen. In addition, the fruit contains a similar protein in latex, which is derived from the sap of the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis. This substance is also capable of causing an unwanted reaction.

Avocados, as well as fruits including apples, peaches, raspberries and blueberries, contain natural chemicals called salicylates. Some people are sensitive to these compounds. An allergic reaction in this case is manifested by skin rashes and swelling.

It is also not recommended to abuse this fruit for people with excessive body weight. This is due to the high caloric content of avocados.

If you do not have any contraindications, then you should consume no more than two medium-sized avocados a day.

Choosing the maturity of avocados

Determine the ideal degree of maturity of avocados can be determined by the following signs:

The fruit should be firm. If the fruit is hard, it is immature, and too soft is overripe;

An unripe fruit has a green stalk, but overripe fruit has a dark stalk. A ripe avocado has a light yellow color;
The color of the avocado peel varies with the variety. For example, a Haas or Hass has a dark brown or brown rind. If it’s green, it’s unripe. A ripe Fuerte avocado, on the other hand, should be bright green. If the skin is brown in color, it means that the fruit is probably spoiled.

Correct storage conditions

If the avocado is whole and unripe, then it is better to keep it in the refrigerator, so that the fruit does not overripen. In this form, they can be stored for up to two weeks.

Cut avocados are also best kept in the refrigerator. To preserve the pulp so that it does not darken, there are two sure ways:

you need to leave the pit in the avocado;
you can lightly splash the flesh of the fruit with vinegar or lemon juice, and then cover it with food film.

As practice shows, the fruit matures within two to three days at room temperature, but in the refrigerator mature cut fruit is not recommended to store more than five days.

How to tell if an avocado has gone bad

Signs that indicate that the fruit can no longer be eaten:

loose flesh;
dark colored spots on the peel of the fruit;
a peculiar and unpleasant odor;

bitter or sour taste;
dark veins in the cut fruit;
white or gray mold.

Spoiled avocados should never be eaten, as this can cause food poisoning. This may be indicated by nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and discomfort, increased body temperature, diarrhea, lethargy.