How To Pick A Perfect Avocado

Before you commit to purchasing and then eating  a specific avocado, look for all the external signs of ripe-but-not-rotten. With a Hass avocado (the variety we grow at the pH Miracle Center at the Rancho del Sol), the skin should be very dark green-to-black and bumpy. The fruit should feel heavy and firm, with no obvious smooshy parts or flat areas.

Now here’s the trick. Once you’ve selected a good candidate, take a sneak-peak at what’s inside. Discreetly flick the dry stem off the fruit.

If you see a brown patch under the stem, put that avocado back. It will be rotten inside.

Like this:

But, if the fruit right under the stem is bright avocado yellow-green, you have a healthy fresh avocado. Your avocado will be ready to eat.

Like this:

This technique will never fail you.

Haas avocados purchased hard and green will ripen nicely on the kitchen counter over several days. However, once your avocado hits that black-skinned stage, don’t delay in enjoying it. The difference between a soft and creamy avocado and a brown-streaked, half-rotten one is only a few days on the kitchen counter.