Picking Avocados at the Ripe Time

Ever wonder why the avocados you see in the store are often so hard?

Avocados, it seems, do not ripen on trees. When an avocado reaches the ideal size of about 8 ounces, it is picked, but it is still as hard as a baseball and bright green.

That hardness makes it easy to handle and ship, but growers have begun to try to deliver riper fruit to market as a consumer service.

Many fruits, including the avocado, gradually emit an ethylene gas that causes ripening. Many larger packers have now built rooms filled with the gas to help the avocados ripen more quickly.

There are many theories on how best to get an avocado to ripen. One recommended way is to place a few in a brown paper bag, maybe with other fruits, like bananas, that emit ethylene gas. Close the bag, keep it in a warm, dark place (such as behind the refrigerator) and wait until the avocados ripen.

Ripe, by the way, means the fruit is almost black and soft, not mushy, to the touch.