How To Keep Your Avocados Fresh For 6 Months (Yes, Really)

Avocados never get old. Most of us can eat them in some form—whether in a smoothie, on toast, or atop a taco—for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and not get sick of it. But they do, literally, get old. As in, they don't last forever.

You can try to fend off the dreaded brown and preserve the green of a cut avocado by storing it in a shallow pool of water, but if you want to extend its life any longer than just a few days, your best bet for a ripe avocado is the freezer. (For an unripe one, try pickling it!)

Yes, you can freeze an avocado. Did you just become suddenly aware of all the squishy avocados you've unnecessarily thrown out? Yeah, us too. Those things are expensive. But, no longer!

Illustration: Chloe Bulpin / mbg creative

There are two ways you can do it: either halved or puréed. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Wash the avocado, skin still on.
2. Cut the fruit in half, and peel.
3. If you decide to halve it, wrap the halves separately (sans pit) in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then put them in a resealable bag and freeze. (Don't forget to label and date the bag!)
4. If you decide to purée it, either mash the avocado with a fork or in a food processor with a little bit of lime or lemon juice or white vinegar. Then store in a resealable bag or an airtight container and freeze.
5. Avocado can be kept frozen for up to five or six months. To thaw, leave in the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours before use, or place at room temperature for about an hour, or place into a bowl and run cold water over the bag or container. And you're good to go!

But, as always, there's a little bit of a catch.

Once thawed, the avocado isn't quite as firm as the fresh avocado. It's been through a lot being cooped up in that freezer next to those peas. It's just not the same. So while you're not going to want to snack on slices of it, the once-frozen fruit works perfectly well for making guacamole, dressings, spreads, and ice pops (perhaps with a little lime and tequila?).

And now that you're an expert avocado freezer, you can stock up on avos when they're in season and a little bit cheaper than when they're out of season and being sold for $3 a pop. If you're thinking, How was I not doing this all along? we're right there with you.

by Emi Boscamp, MBG Editorial

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-25514/how-to-keep-your-avocados-fresh-for-6-months-yes-really.html