The Banana Trick To Quickly Ripen An Avocado

If you're an avocado connoisseur, you've likely memorized all the ways to tell if an avocado is ripe enough to eat. According to Avocados from Mexico, there are three ways to tell if your avocado is ripe or not. First, fruits with a dark green to nearly black skin color signal a ripe avocado. Second, look out for the skin's texture — ripe avocados should be a bit rough and bumpy on the outside. And third, if the avocado gives when gentle pressure is applied, it should be perfect when sliced open (Although, if it is too soft, it's likely overripe).

Avocados are notorious for having finicky timing about when they're perfectly ripe for eating. Half the time, an avocado with all the signs of being ripe will just be brown and mushy on the inside. The other half, it seems, the fruit stays rock hard for days without ever softening. But, we're here to help you solve one of those problems. 

We have an avocado hack that will give you a perfectly ripe avocado in no time — and you only need two items.

According to Bon Appétit, there is a quick way to ripen an avocado in just a day or two. Simply toss an unripe avocado into a paper bag along with a ripe banana. With both the fruits inside, fold the bag, loosely sealing it, and place it on your kitchen counter where it can sit for a couple days. Make sure your kitchen stays at room temperature, and, voila, a perfectly ripe avocado you can cut up and use as you see fit.

You may have heard of this method without the addition of a ripe banana. While it still works without the addition of an extra fruit, it definitely speeds up the process if you include it. According to Kitchn, this trick works because the bag traps the ethylene gas that is released during the avocados' natural ripening process. The avocado then reabsorbs the gas, which speeds up the process of ripening, as opposed to sitting in an open-air container.

If it's paired with a banana or another fruit, like an apple, per Bon Appétit, they will add to the ethylene gas production and speed up the ripening process. Try this hack out the next time you're craving some creamy avocado for your sandwiches, smoothies, or decadent avocado toast.