Can't Wait For Those Unripe Avocados? Time To Start Pickling

In many ways, avocado is the perfect ingredient. It's a genuine superfood, loaded with healthy fats, vitamins, and other nutrients. Then there's its culinary versatility. When ripe, its unctuous and silky-smooth flesh can be mashed into creamy guacamole, mushed onto avocado toast, added to salads, rolled into sushi, or sprinkled with lemon juice and eaten right out of the shell. When ripe...

Yes, avocado's singular and unfortunate flaw. Avocado is a climacteric fruit, meaning it ripens after it is harvested. This process can be a little unpredictable, and if harvested too early, sadly, may never happen at all, which is why you tend to see clusters of people hovering around the avocado crates poking and inspecting each one. And while there are ways to accelerate the softening of an unripe avocado, like storing them in a paper bag with a banana, placing them in the sun, or even wrapping them in foil and popping them into the oven, you may be better off pickling them. Yes, you read correctly. This may come as a surprise, but avocado is one of the many foods you can pickle, resulting in a snack that's uniquely smooth, decadent, and tangy — not to mention a potential conversation starter at your next party or soirée. And the process for making them couldn't be simpler.

Pickling unripe avocado isn't much different from pickling cucumbers, onions, or any other ingredient. All you need to do is combine one cup of water, one cup of vinegar, one teaspoon of salt, and any other herbs or spices into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. While the mixture is heating up, start working on your avocado. 

Remove the shell and seed as you normally would and cut it into your desired shape before adding the pieces to a glass jar. If you plan on using your pickled avocados as an addition to salads or as an alternative to olives or cornichons on your next charcuterie board, try cutting them into cubes; if you're aiming for something that looks like your classic pickle spear, slice them lengthwise, long and thin. After your pickling liquid has come to a boil, shut the heat, pour it over your sliced or diced avocado, and slap on the lid. Place the jar in the refrigerator and allow the pickling solution to work its magic. After a few hours, your avocado pickles will be ready to eat, but you should consider allowing them to marinate for another few hours — or days — to strengthen the flavor. However, unlike traditional pickles which can be stored for months, avocado pickles tend to be at their best when consumed within a week. 

Pickled avocado is a special ingredient that can add a whole lot of panache and excitement to your cooking. Sprinkle some cubed avocado over an ordinary salad for a big burst of acid, or fold them into a creamy pasta salad for some added zip. Are you a fan of fried pickles? Well, you should try fried pickled avocados! Just remember to sprinkle some ranch seasoning into your pickle batter to boost the flavor.

Your plain old cream cheese can also benefit from an added mince of pickled avocado. Spread some on your morning bagel for a ludicrously yummy breakfast mashup. Sticking with cheese, why not layer a few pickled avocado spears onto your next grilled cheese? They'll provide the perfect counterpoint to the gooey cheese and crisp, crunchy bread. For easy entertaining, stir some pickled avocados into your next batch of deviled eggs for a tangy surprise. So, the next time you're in the supermarket feeling glum because none of the avocados are ripe and squishy, remember that you can always give those tough little guys a quick pickle for an innovative and tasty snack.