How To Ripen a Heritage Avocado

All avocados are picked hard and only start to ripen once they are picked from the tree. So how can you know when your Heritage Avocado is ready to eat? Gently press on the skin with your thumb– if it feels soft and gently gives, it is ready to eat.

If it is hard or firm – it needs a few days to ripen. Do not refrigerate or it will not ripen. Instead, place on the counter (in a bowl) and wait for anywhere from one to 10 days. Check each day.

Avocados put together will ripen together, and more quickly!

To ripen faster – put in a paper bag with a banana or apple.

Here is how we suggest you “stagger” your ripening process so you have avocados to eat over a longer period of time:

1. Put 2 or 3 in a paper bag with an apple or banana and leave on the counter. They will ripen first.
   
   
2. Put another 2 or 3 in a paper bag without any other fruit. These will be ready a day or two later than the bag with the banana or apple.
   
   
3. Put a few more in a bowl on the counter. They will ripen within 3-10 days.
   
   
4. If you wish – put a few in the fruit/vegetable compartment of your refrigerator. This can extend the life for a few days. No more than 4 or 5 days. Then put out on the counter to ripen.

Note: Heritage avocados are not always as “stable” as those grown for commercial shipping and rough handling with machines. They may also have “beauty marks” where the fruit brushes against other fruit or the bark of the tree in the California wind. That is common on thin-skinned Heritage Avocados.

With our heritage avocados you may see some uneven ripening (e.g. – the stem or “long neck” may ripen more quickly – especially in long neck varieties). This is normal. Enjoy the top half first, then cover the unripened portion with plastic wrap – leave on the counter, and it will be ready to eat in a day or two.

Think of these heritage avocados like the delicious fruits and vegetables your grandpa grew – they are not always as “pretty”, uniform or “perfect” as the grocery store fruit – but they TASTE so much better!

Heritage avocados are worth the wait. Enjoy!

10 Reasons To Buy Avocados From Avocado Diva

Why buy avocados from the Avocado Diva? Here’s our list ala David Letterman:

10. Have you ever eaten a grocery store tomato -- ? Compare that to a tomato your grandma grows in the heat of summer. Yeah – its like that. California, heritage avocados from the Diva are that much better than those small, yucky, grocery store avocados.

9. You’ll have a really hard time finding rare “heritage” avocados like the Diva has – unless you go to about 5 farmers market up and down coastal California – find the best avocados out of the whole market, and convince the rancher to sell them to you – right off his tree.

8. Avocados the size of your head. OR Avocados the size of a teacup. We have a wide variety of sizes – depending on what we find!

7. The Diva will send you specific recipes for the special size (grill up HUGE ones, oh yes! Or made amazing appetizers with mini avocados – amazing, yummy, delicious.)

6. Avocados are great sources of protein – the highest amount of protein of any fruit. Perfect for vegans, vegetarians, babies, young people, adults, and seniors.

5. Avocados are plentiful in monounsaturated fat (the good, yummy, vegetable kind) that is better for your heart.

4. Potassium – can you guess which fruit has the most? No – its not bananas – avocados have up to 3 times more than a banana! Plus numerous minerals, vitamin A and several vitamins Bs (including folic acid – important for fetal development).

3. What other fruit is made for drinking with beer? Or a margarita? We’re just say’n… (yum).

2. Avocados can be used instead of mayonnaise, butter or cheese on sandwiches to reduce calories by up to 75%! And the natural fattiness of the avocado helps keep you full much longer after a meal and can reduce overeating.

1. And the number one reason to buy Avocado Diva avocados – you deserve the best! And we’ll send you the best California heritage avocados at the peak of their tastiness.

Join our “avocado of the month” club today!