The Best Ways To Keep Guacamole Fresh

Maybe you've paid extra for guacamole and have enough leftover that you don't want it to go to waste. Or maybe you made a big bowl of the bright green dip for friends and have far more left than you anticipated. Whatever the reason, you have found yourself with guacamole that needs to be stored and kept fresh. How you store guacamole may not seem like a big deal, but it is when it comes to freshness retention.

While quite a few methods and techniques promise to do just this, only two are worth giving a try. Avocados from Mexico recommends covering the top of the guacamole with lemon or lime juice before covering with plastic wrap or storing it in an airtight container. However, The Kitchn and Real Simple found that the citrus trick didn't work and added far too much acidity to the dip. Real Simple also tested out storing the avocado spread with avocado pits and covering it with the flattened skins of the avocados, but those tricks also failed to seal in freshness. 

Not all is lost. There are two successful methods for storing guacamole that keeps it fresh. But one method is more successful than the other in the long term.

According to Real Simple, the second-best way to keep guacamole fresh is to cover it with plastic wrap to seal it off from air exposure. Sealing guacamole with plastic wrap should prevent or, at the very least, slow oxidation, which causes the green dip to turn brown. Over time, air can still seep through the plastic wrap, so this method is best for those who plan to use the dip within several hours. After a day, the guacamole could start to turn brown anyway. 

To use this technique, press plastic wrap directly into the guacamole so there is contact. You don't want any space for air to sneak in, though Real Simple mentions that air will inevitably get through the barrier. If you want to try this method, be sure to use multiple layers of plastic wrap or an additional layer of aluminum foil to create a better seal.

The second method for storing fresh guacamole yields the best results. Real Simple suggests defaulting to using water to cover the top of a batch of guacamole before storing it. According to The Kitchn, one of the biggest advantages of this method as opposed to using lemon or lime juice is that it doesn't alter the dip's flavor. Using water to seal off guacamole from air exposure is a highly successful technique, no matter if you need it to stay fresh for a few hours or a day or two. 

This trick works so well because avocados are a good source of unsaturated fat, and fats fall under the larger umbrella of lipids (via Teen Health 101). Lipids naturally repel water which means the guacamole will not absorb or break down in the layer of water, while the water also prevents any air exposure.

To use water to keep guacamole fresh, pour enough water over the dip to cover the entire top layer. Be sure to cover the sides to keep all of the dip safe from oxidation. When you're ready to eat it, just pour the water off, use a spoon or fork to stir the dip up, and serve.