Trying to figure out when an avocado is ripe enough to eat can be tricky at times. Being I was able to distinguish the difference in appearance and by touch of a ripe versus an unripe avocado has helped me use the avocado at the peak of its taste (also before it has gone bad).

Note: I like to purchase Hass avocados.

Usually when I purchase an avocado, I make sure it is not ripe. An unripe avocado is very firm to the touch and light green or green in color.

When trying to figure out the firmness of the avocado, the right way of testing it is by holding the avocado in the palm of your hand and giving it a gentle and a soft squeeze.

I also make sure to purchase an avocado that still has the cap on the top of the avocado. The removal of that cap, once the avocado is ripe, plays a crucial role in determining if the avocado is at it’s perfect eating state.

I place the unripe avocados on my kitchen counter for a few days, not in the refrigerator, to allow it to ripen by turning dark brown in color. Now, I know they say color doesn’t always mean the avocado is ripe, however, it’s worked for me so far.

The time it takes for the avocado to ripen always varies since the ripening depends on the room temperature.  After a few days (usually 2-4 days), the  green avocado will turn dark brown, and will not be firm to the touch. If you were to apply gentle pressure to the avocado by holding it in the palm of your hand, you will notice it is a little soft but not too soft or mushy.

At this point, remove the cap from the avocado. If the avocado is ripe, the cap will remove easily.

When the cap is removed off of a ripe avocado, it will reveal the inside color of the avocado. If the color is light green, green, or the color shown in the picture, the avocado should be perfectly ripe and ready to eat. If you don’t want to use the ripe avocado right away, store it in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process.

HOWEVER,

If you remove the cap and the interior color is dark, as shown in the left picture, that means the avocado might be a little too ripe. It is still safe to eat as long as the avocado doesn’t feel mushy or  too soft to the touch and the inside of the avocado is not all brown. The avocado should not have a bad odor to it. The interior should be green in color and creamy in texture. It’s okay if it has very little brown spots  since it might just be from bruising.

IF the avocado is mushy and very soft to the touch with a brown interior that has a bad odor and taste to it, then it is past its prime and should be wasted.