Let me start by saying that I love avocados, especially as a part of my breakfast routine, but it can be pretty annoying when you go to the store and can’t find avocados that are ripe enough for eating right away. Most of my time I ask myself should I or can I ripen an avocado in the microwave? The answer is yes.
So instead of just blindly going to every store or supermarket near me to search for avocados and getting disappointed each and every time, I hopped on the internet(like one does if they want to learn something) and googled if I can ripen an avocado in the microwave If I want to use one right away. And I found an awesome, quick microwave method.
To ripen an avocado in the microwave cut the avocado in half and remove the pit from it. Take one half of unripe avocado and poke holes in it all through the skin, and wrap it in microwave-safe plastic wrap, or a paper towel.
The poking of the avocado is a very important step of the ripening process as it can explode in the microwave and make a mess. Microwave your avocado half on medium-high heat for 30 seconds and open the microwave to check the process.
If the avocado isn’t ripe enough, continue microwaving for 30-second intervals until you reach your desired softness. Take the avocado halves out of the microwave and let them cool off for a couple of seconds.
After cooling off, unwrap the avocado halves and place them in the fridge for 10 minutes to cool off even more. And there you have it, a ripe avocado for a quick avocado toast or guacamole.
Keep in mind that microwaved avocado can easily blow up or explode when exposed to heat, so make sure to not wrap the avocado half tightly and always remove the pit.
To learn more about how to ripen avocados, please keep on reading the entire article.
Can I Ripen An Avocado In The Microwave?
Ripened avocado is the only way to eat an avocado if you ask me. It is so much better when you smush it on toast or turn it into guacamole with a creamy texture.
In fact, most of the dishes that call for avocado as one of the ingredients, call for a ripened avocado. Before you go ahead and ripen an avocado in the microwave, here are some crucial things to know.
- Always remove the pit from the avocado as it can cause an uneven heat distribution around the whole avocado. The pit can also spread from the heat and cause an explosion.
- Poke the avocado with a fork or another sharp object before putting it in the microwave. This is also a very crucial step as it can have the same result as not removing the pit, aka it will explode.
- Using a microwave to ripen your avocado will not ”ripen” it per se, it will merely make the avocado softer and make it a little bit mushy.
- If you want to ripen frozen avocado, first let it defrost, and then you can microwave it as you would with fresh avocado.
- Microwave the avocado on low-medium heat at 30-second intervals. Check on the ripening process and if it needs more time to soften, leave it for 30 more seconds.
[Related Article: How Long To Defrost Bacon In Microwave? (3 Simple Methods)]
How To Ripen Avocado Using Other Methods
I must admit that using a microwave to ripen avocados isn’t my favorite method and I don’t recommend using it if you have other choices. Let me give you some other ideas and techniques on how to ripen/soften your avocado.
The Natural Ripening Process
This is by far the best and the safest way to ripen your avocados. Granted, it is annoying to wait for the natural process to ripen your avocados but it is worth it.
This way, you won’t change the buttery taste of it and you will get a perfect creamy texture for your guacamole dip.
You can leave the underripe avocados on the kitchen counter for a couple of days and let the time do its’ job. When your avocados change their color from light green to dark green, then you know that the fruit has achieved perfect ripeness.
Pair It With Other Fruits
Pairing your unripe avocados with fruits that produce a natural ethylene gas(pears, apples, apricots, and bananas) will help you get them ripened faster.
Place your fruits of choice in a brown paper bag along with your avocados and the ethylene gas from the fruits will do the job for you.
You can also leave the avocados at room temperature in a bowl with bananas, apples, or pears but the ripening process will be slightly slower than with the paper bag.
Ripen In The Oven
Ripening an avocado in the oven is a much better idea than using the microwave even though it’s a faster method. Simply just cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Wrap each half of the avocado in aluminum foil and place it on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F or 93 degrees C and after the oven has been properly preheated, place the avocado and bake for 15-30 minutes, depending on how hard is the avocado.
Place The Unripe Avocados In Uncooked Rice
Placing your avocados in a bowl of uncooked rice will release the natural ethylene gasses and you will have perfectly ripe avocados in just a couple of days.
Basically, you just place your unripe avocado/s in a wide bowl that’s halfway full with rice and leave it at room temperature for 2 days.
Related Questions And Other FAQs
How Do You Ripen Avocados Quickly
You can cut your unripe avocado in half, remove the pit, wrap the avocado in foil, and place it in the oven that’s been preheated to 200degrees F. The heat will soften your avocado so you can use it in your dishes.
Does Microwaving Avocado Ripen It
No. The real ripening process will only happen if you leave the avocado for a few days until it changes color or has brown spots all over it.
Microwaving the avocado only softens it but you will still notice the unripe taste that avocados usually have.
How To Ripen Avocados Overnight
Place your avocados in a paper bag with fruits like bananas, apples, or apricots, and fold the bag as much as you can to stop any air from coming into the bag. Let your fruits sit together for at least 12 hours, and you should have a perfectly ripe avocado by then.
How To Ripen Avocados Naturally
You can store your avocados in a paper bag with bananas, apples, or apricots or leave them all together in a bowl. You can also try the uncooked rice method where you leave the avocado/s in a bowl with uncooked rice. You should have ripe avocados in a day or two.