The Oven Hack For Ripening Avocados In A Flash

There's nothing more frustrating than reaching for an avocado and realizing it's rock-solid. Whether you were planning to make avocado toast for breakfast or guacamole for a party, there are few situations that allow the ingredient to be easily substituted. Usually, this expensive but beloved fruit is the star of the dish, and there's little way to get around it when it's unavailable. However, not all hope is lost if your avocados aren't ripe enough to use. There are a number of ways to soften them that can take anywhere from minutes to days.

The fastest is to heat your avocados in the oven. Although this may sound risky, the avocados won't come out too warm or cooked if you follow the right approach. To quickly make your avocados more edible, simply wrap them in aluminum foil and pop them in the oven. The warmth softens them up, making them easier to cut into and eat.

To use this hack, start by preheating your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap as many avocados as you need in foil and place them on a baking sheet. Once the oven comes to temperature, heat the avocados for about 10 minutes or a bit longer if they're extra hard. When the time is up, they should be soft enough to use, particularly around the edges. If the avocado is too warm for your liking, place it in the refrigerator to chill.

Though baking an avocado softens the texture, it doesn't actually ripen it. The avocado will be soft enough to use, but the taste will be more on par with an unripe avocado, whereas the texture will be somewhat stringy and not as smooth. In addition, per Healthline, ripening produces more healthy fats; with this quick-fix method, the avocado will not be quite as nutritious. 

Because of the sacrifices in taste and texture, there are limited uses for avocados softened in the oven, much as is the case with frozen avocados. They are best used in guacamole, smoothies, or other recipes in which the avocado is mashed or blended with other flavors. For a simple avocado toast, it's best to wait for your avocados to ripen naturally for the best result.

If you're in need of a ripe avocado but don't want to sacrifice the taste or consistency, there are other options at your disposal. If you have a few days to spare, you can ripen avocados quickly by placing them in a paper bag with a banana or apple. Though this method requires you to plan ahead, it is the quickest way to truly speed up the maturation, rather than softening an unripe avocado.

However, if you need to ripen the fruit the same day and are set on it being truly ripe, not just softened, then your best bet is to run to the store and purchase one that is actually mature. To figure out if an avocado is ripe, squeeze it gently with your palm. A ripe avocado should have a bit of give. If it's too firm, it won't be ready to use for at least a few days.