I had an avocado, a whim and ... well, that's about it. With those two things I started a 10 day experiment on the best way to store a cut avocado.
Above you can see an avocado half that's actually made up of 100% science experiment. The top was preserved in plastic wrap for 10 days, and the bottom was held in a mason jar that had the air sucked out of it.
I had used a really small amount of diced avocado to top my chili con carne with because eating chili without toppings is berserk. Avocado is one of the many toppings I put on my chili so I don't need much of each one.
I decided (on a whim as I mentioned) to wrap one unused half in plastic wrap and put the other in a mason jar which I then used this tool to suck the air out of.
I was introduced to this mason jar gadget by reader Ann and I use it all the time but I'll talk about that in another post. This one is about the avocado.
I will say one thing, this is a jar sealer that sucks out air like a Foodsaver would. It isn't to be used for preserving food to make it shelf stable the same way a water bath or pressure canning does.
It *does* however, keep food kept in mason jars fresher for longer (nuts, jar salads, oatmeal ... whatever) and I use it all the time.
The experiment started out the exact way I thought it would, with the avocado in the airless mason jar showing less browning and discolouration.
The browning on the exposed flesh of the plastic wrapped avocado was immediate. By day 2 it had brown veining while the avocado in the airless mason jar looked perfect.
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We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
I realized I'd made a mistake the instant I took the lid off to take a photo. It wasn't going to be a fair experiment because I had allowed the jarred avocado to be exposed to air while I photographed it.
As the days went by the plastic wrapped avocado continued to get darker and less appealing while the one in the jar (even though I opened it once) still looked perfectish.
By days 8 and 9 there was no question which avocado I'd rather eat. I mean, neither of them really by day 9 but for arguments sake, it would be obvious to eat the greener one, in the mason jar.
Here's where I realized I made many insurmountable mistakes. It was an unfair fight.
The avocado in the mason jar had 2 cut sides that were exposed to air; the top and the middle. The avocado in plastic wrap only had 1 cut side (the top) with the rest protected by the avocado skin and the pit (which does a better job than anything of protecting the avocado). LOOK at how green and fresh the centre where the pit was looks.
By Day 10 both avocado pieces looked unappealing. The one kept in tight plastic wrap actually fared better by the end of the experiment. This, even though up until that point it looked consistently more pitiful than the avocado in the airtight jar.
RESULTS
Inconclusive. So I'm currently redoing this experiment with a little more precision and a little less whim.
The answer is 4 by the way. That's the number of times I almost decided to eat the avocado.
Kat - the other 1
Rub the cut side with lemon or lime juice, no matter how you store it. Ain't perfect, but does make a difference. And yes, you have to touch it. Mom just dumps the juice on and makes a huge sticky mess and wonders why its better and less messy all around when I do the cutting and storing/ wrapping of any avocados we use. Not that she cares much, if she's cutting / wrapping it then that half is for me and she doesn't have to deal with it. (Argh!)
Norma
I store my remaining half avocado in a container with a cut onion. The sulfur compounds in the cut onion attract the oxygen in the container more rapidly than the phenols that oxidise the avocado, keeping your avocado green for many days. More avocado for toast in the morning or guacamole makes me happy!
Mischelle Myers
I eat avocado daily... like joy essential! Living in a community , with plentiful varieties (50+) to source, keeping them fresh has been a constant experiment; we have varieties that can be nearly 3#, so eating it all could be gluttony. Lately, I've been not wrapping and lightly coating cut surface with avocado oil ( or coconut) as sealant and leaving out or fridge (depending on when I plan on finishing. This method has given me the optimal result. Some discoloration but like others have shared, just skim this surface off and proceed with devouring. I have that glorious little sealing gadget and love it! hadn't thought of this application ~ may try combining oil/ seal method! Much aloha
Juls
This is awesome, thank you.
Patti_is_knittinginflashes
The only reason I would buy an avocado is for the pit that I would attempt to grow into a tree. I so wish I liked to eat them as they are good for you.
Karen but not that karen
I am with you - i cannot imagine actually LIKING to eat an avocado- 🥑 its a tossup between it tastes like ‘ nothing’..only with a slightly slimy texture or it tastes like it looks like which is Irish Spring Soap…its kinda good for you, but its also that trendy thing. Trendy irritates me. But my name is Karen and i’m old.
Mary W
I never have this problem - I eat the whole thing and then wait a long time to buy another one - to eat completely the day I open it. I have no self-control! I do, however, completely appreciate your time to do this for the weird day that I decide to save some of it. It is good to know.
Karin
I've always been told to add a little lemon juice to my guac. to help prevent browning. Wonder if a quick lemon spritz would help when you store them too...
Rachel
Consider these tips from an avid avocado fan. Tip 1: eat the whole damn thing. More avocado is always better. Tip 2: leave the unused portion with the pit sit out in the counter with no covering. It will grow its own protective skin. To use simply cut just underneath that very thin dried layer then remove the skin with the pit in one piece. Try this as another arm of your experiment
Babs
Remember that quote from the movie, "Multiplicity", 1996 with Michael Keaton. One of the multiples said and I quote, "Air is our Enemy" when storing food. Great film by the way.
Karen
I actually don't think that I've ever seen it. Maybe I'll remedy that! ~ karen
Meighan Elder
I am a longtime partial avocado eater. The secret is leaving the pit in the unused portion. Not only does it cover more area but it has some effect that reduces browning. It’s why putting the pit on top of your guac will help keep it green until ready to eat. I don’t even wrap mine just pop it on top of the eggs where it won’t roll around. I eat it within a week usually and cut a thin layer off the top if stale but always nice and green underneath.
Karen
There really is something to that pit! ~ karen
Lynne
I use sous-vide bags you can get on Amazon to store cut avocadoes. They're awesome for when I forget I already have a cut one in the fridge (which I usually find out when I go to put the freshly vacuumed packaged SECOND avocado in) because they last at least a week with no browning whatsoever.
Hettie
An interesting experiment. I'm looking forward to hearing how else you use that jar sealer. :)
Karen
I could do a whole post on that. It's a handy little gadget. ~ karen!
Cath
I saw a video the other day with someone suggesting you keep it with the outside down under a half inch of water, in a little tub or such, and the water creates an airtight seal so it lasts for days... Possible 3rd option to experiment with?
Cath
Cut side, not outside... Autocorrect ruining the experiment!!
Karen
I understood! ~ karen
WESLEY WOBLES
Always brightening our world. Much love. Wesley and Mimi
Shana
I once went on vacation for 10 days and vacuumed sealed half of an avocado in the plastic bag that is sold for the FoodSaver device and it looked and tasted fine when I returned. The plastic completely encased the avocado.
Karen
Ah yes, I have those bags, I could add one to the list. It's just then you have to haul out the food saver, and this little gadget is so much easier to grab and use. But the bags would probably do a great job because they'd stick right to the flesh getting rid of air completely. ~ karen!
Randy P
Your experiment got me wondering and good old Google replaced my wonder with information- "Yes, you can freeze avocado but make sure you use ones that are just-ripe (not super soft). Scoop flesh from skin in chunks and arrange on a baking paper-lined tray. Freeze avos for about 30 minutes or until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag and expel air. You can keep avocados in the freezer for up to one month." So... just a thunk on a Sunday eve in Chicago.
Karen
I do freeze them. But like most things they aren't quite the same after freezing. ~ karen!