Avocados are a versatile item to have in the kitchen as they can be eaten as a trendy breakfast, blended into a smoothie or even used to make into a guacamole dip for nachos.
However, many people are put off eating this creamy green fruit as it can be tricky to keep fresh, and there is nothing worse than buying fruit only for it to go brown after a day or two.
The reason avocados often spoil quickly is that they are often stored in fruit bowls which is the worst place in the kitchen to place them.
Most fruit produces ethylene gas, a natural growth hormone, and when piled up together in a fruit bowl it can cause too much gas to concentrate in one area which causes avocados to become spoiled quickly.
The best place to store whole unripe avocados is at room temperature on the kitchen counter away from a fruit bowl, but once it has been cut into the best place to keep it is in the fridge.
Sliced avocados should be stored in the fridge as the cold temperature slows down the production of ethylene gas and helps it maintain its peak ripeness without it becoming mushy.
However, Jessica Burgess, a cook and founder of Fantabulosity has shared there are two kitchen ingredients that avocados should be stored with to make sure it does not turn brown.
Jessica said: “One trick is to brush the half of the avocado with olive oil and store in an airtight container. This prevents direct contact with air, which causes the avocado to brown quickly.”
It may seem strange but brushing olive oil on avocados not only prevents air and bacteria from causing the fruit to spoil but it also seals in moisture so it cannot dry out.
All you need to do is after cutting up an avocado, brush a thin layer of olive oil on the cut surface, place it in a container with a lid, and then store it in the fridge.
However, if you do not have olive oil on hand then try brushing an avocado with lemon juice, which will also act as a barrier to prevent exposure.
Jessica said: “If you don’t have olive oil on hand, give lemon juice a try! Brush half of the avocado with lemon juice, and the citric acid will work its magic.”
Lemon juice contains citric acid that will lower the pH level on the surface of an avocado so that the enzymes that cause browning become less active.
It is also high in vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that also helps delay browning due to its acidity.
Keep cut avocados in the fridge in an airtight container with the surface coated in olive oil or lemon juice and it should keep fresh for up to seven days longer than it normally would last.
