Here's What To Do If You Cut An Avocado Before It's Ripe

Choosing the right avocado can be challenging, regardless of whether you know all the best tips for buying avocados like the importance of selecting fruit with its brown stem still intact. Even the most confident of us have gone to slice what we thought was a perfectly ripe avocado, only to find a hard and pale green interior that's impossible to scoop out. If you've ever been in a similar situation, don't feel disheartened; it's still possible to save all of that precious flesh. All you need to do is join both halves of the avocado back around the pit and let it continue to ripen in the refrigerator.

Some people like to rub a little lemon or lime juice over the exposed parts of the avocado to prevent browning. It's also good idea to cover both halves in plastic wrap so that they don't come apart – a rubber band also works to hold the halves together snugly. Doing this can even help with any browning and keep the fruit from drying out due to oxidation. 

The sliced avocado should be ready to enjoy within a few days, depending on its initial ripeness. But, if you want to speed up the process you can leave the avocado on the counter instead of placing it in the fridge. The flesh might darken a little where it was cut, but this is natural. Just make sure there's no mold or other signs of spoilage before consuming.

If that sourdough avocado toast just can't wait, there are a few things you can do to make an unripe avocado more palatable. Sometimes dicing and baking or even sauteeing the avocado in a pan for a few minutes can do the trick. People have also had luck softening the fruit by marinating the pieces in salt or in a mixture of lemon juice and sugar. Otherwise, you can try the viral microwave ripening hack. However, experts don't recommend this since, even though the flesh will become tender if heated, the avocado won't taste the same.

Additionally, you could also toss the avocado in a blender, if you've already cut it up. This method works great if you're making some baby food or a smoothie. But, if you're trying to serve a crave-worthy guacamole, then you're going to have to wait. 

If you haven't already cut the avocado and can spare some extra time, try the paper bag trick. Simply store the whole fruit with an ethylene-producing fruit like a kiwi or banana, sticking the bag in a warm spot to speed up the ripening process. Your avocado should be soft enough for a savory avocado mousse in no time at all — so long as you have a little patience.