Anyone who has ever cut into an avocado with the expectation of finding creamy pulp knows the disappointment of seeing it still hard and “green” inside. To overcome this problem, a homemade trick that uses the oven and aluminum foil to speed up the process and make the fruit softer on the same day has gained momentum.
The logic is simple: by wrapping the avocado and applying moderate heat, an attempt is made to retain ethylene, a gas naturally produced during ripening, within the fruit. According to the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, heat favors the release of this gas and helps to obtain a softer texture in a few minutes. Even so, publications such as Epicurious emphasize that these shortcuts with heat can soften the pulp, but they do not replace natural maturation, especially in terms of flavor and consistency.
The “button” at the top that many use to assess ripeness
Before resorting to any acceleration method, there are those who try to understand whether the avocado is, after all, closer to the point than it appears. A common test recommended in cooking guides is to lift the small stalk at the top and observe the exposed color, with bright green or yellowish color being a sign that the inside may be ready, while a stalk that is difficult to remove tends to indicate that the fruit has not yet ripened.
The same concern appears in several cooking guides, which also draw attention to how avocado is “tested” in the store. Instead of squeezing with your fingers, the recommendation is to assess firmness with gentle pressure in the palm of your hand, reducing the risk of stains and damage to the pulp.
Oven and aluminum foil: how the “quick” method is described
According to , the most popular procedure involves wrapping the entire avocado in aluminum foil and placing it in the oven at a low temperature for around 10 to 15 minutes. The usual indication points to values in the order of 100 ºC and recommends that the fruit cool completely before opening.
There are also those who detail similar variations, also with aluminum foil, stating that the heat and “encapsulation” aim to keep the ethylene close to the fruit. It should be added that the time may vary depending on the initial degree of hardness and that the result is above all a change in texture, as the process is different from natural maturation.
When there is no oven, the microwave often appears as an alternative in viral versions of the same theme. One of the most repeated descriptions indicates cutting the avocado in half, wrapping it in microwave-safe cling film and heating it in short intervals, until it softens.
Still, several publications highlight reservations about the result. Heat can soften, but does not truly “ripen” the avocado, and there are differences in texture and flavor compared to natural ripening. These heated methods soften the flesh, but tend to maintain a “greener” and less creamy flavor profile than expected from a ripe avocado.
The most repeated method: paper bag and ripe fruit to concentrate ethylene
For those who want to speed up without resorting to heat, the most repeated method continues to be the paper bag with ripe fruit. The University of California explains that placing avocados in a paper bag, along with ripe bananas, apples or kiwis, helps to concentrate the ethylene and encourage the fruit to produce its own ethylene, shortening the time to the point. The same source adds a practical detail: the bag must be made of paper and not completely closed plastic, because the fruit needs to “breathe” during the process. Still, even with this shortcut, the final time depends on the initial state of the avocado, the degree of ripeness of the fruit that accompanies it and the ambient temperature.
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