Tips for Picking the Perfect Avocado Every Time!

2. The Touch Test

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Although the state of an avocado can be much informed by visual assessment, the most important step in choosing a ripe avocado is probably the touch test. This practical method lets you precisely evaluate the ripeness of the fruit, thereby guiding your selection of an avocado that will be ready for consumption as needed. To do the touch test, softly press the avocado with your thumb or forefinger. The secret is to use a faint touch; you are measuring the fruit's resistance to mild pressure rather than trying to compress it. Though it shouldn't feel mushy, a ripe avocado will yield somewhat to this little pressure. The avocado needs more time to mature if it feels rock hard; it is not yet ripe. On the other hand, if it feels really soft or mushy, it is probably overripe and might have an unpleasant texture inside. Brown patches may also show. During the touch test, pay especially close attention to the avocado's thin end—that near the point of attachment for the stem. Since the avocado ripens first, this section usually softens first and can be a useful guide of the general ripeness of the fruit. The avocado is probably at the ideal level of ripeness if this section gives slightly to pressure while the remainder of the fruit is still firm — ready to eat but not overripe. When testing avocados, especially if you are looking at several fruits, be gentle. Particularly if the fruit is ripe or about ripe, pressing too forcefully may damage it. Although these bruises might not be obvious right away, they cause brown areas inside the avocado that compromise its look and quality when you cut it open. Recall that an avocado's maturity could vary even within the same batch purchased from a retailer. While some might be ready to eat right once, others might need several days to completely ripen. This variety lets you choose avocados depending on your intended usage. If you're not used to choosing avocados, you can find it useful to feel numerous fruits. By helping you to see the range from unripe to overripe, this comparison will enable you to more precisely spot avocados at the ideal ripeness. Over time, practice will help you to intuitively perceive the appropriate degree of firmness, so quicker and more accurate the choosing process becomes. Finally, if you're hesitant, don't hesitate to seek for guidance. Many produce departments have trained employees that could help you choose the best avocados. They could even be able to offer advice on how to store avocados to keep best quality or on how to ripen avocados at home.