Avocados are one of the most healthy fruits out there, and it is no surprise that they are so popular.
Lots of people like to have them on toast in the morning, in smoothies, salads, and, of course, guacamole. They are delicious and creamy, but portion-wise, you are only supposed to eat around ¼ of the fruit a day (about 90 calories).
So, you’ve cut open an avocado and had your part (maybe a little more, I’m not judging), and now you are left with a fruit that will turn brown in a matter of moments.
Avocados do not give us much time to come up with a solution to their browning, so most of the time we just end up with a brown mess.
Well, what if I told you there are a few methods you can try out to help keep your delicious avocado fresh and green? It’s not magic, it’s just science!
If you want to find out the secret to keeping avocados and guacamole green and looking their best, stay tuned.
What Makes Avocado Turn Brown?
First, we need to understand why avocado turns brown. The answer is simple – as soon as the flesh of the fruit is exposed to oxygen, the browning process starts. It’s a lot like what happens to apples, and it does not look very appealing.
These fruit contain a chemical called polyphenol oxidase, which is responsible for making the flesh brown after being cut.
So, if the oxygen in the air is what makes an avocado brown, all we need to do to prevent that from happening is keep it away from oxygen.
Of course, nothing lasts forever and whether you prevent oxygen for initially getting to the fruit or not, it will still brown eventually. Hopefully you or someone else will have eaten it by then, anyway.
Let’s have a look at some of the best ways to keep avocados and guacamole from turning brown.
If you try out any of these, let me know how they worked for you! These should work for everyone, but you never know.
Methods For Keeping Your Avocado Looking Fresh
To start off, let’s see what methods we can use to keep our unmashed avocados from turning brown.
Chances are, in this scenario, you have had to cut a whole avocado just to have your portion, but now you are stuck with the rest of it. Let’s see what you can do to lengthen its green lifespan.
Olive Oil As A Browning Prevention
The first method for preventing avocado browning is to use olive oil. You can brush or spray the fruit with an olive oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor (unless you want it to).
Doing this will prevent the top later of the avocado from coming into contact with the oxygen, and therefore prevent the flesh from turning brown.
This method should work for around a day, but after that nature will take its course, and you will have brown avocado.
Seal The Avocado With Plastic Wrap
Using plastic wrap is another great option. To do this, you can either keep the pit in or take it out. All to have to do is get plastic wrap, and very carefully, wrap it around the fruit.
Make sure that it is tight and smooth, so no oxygen can touch it. If you keep the pit in, wrap over it and continue to keep it tight.
Removing the pit means that you will have to press the wrap down into the well where the pit was to prevent contact with oxygen.
This method will also only last for a day, maybe two. Avocados are passionate about their unpleasant transformation, so you better it i soon.
Try Using Onions
The sulfur compounds found in onions make then the perfect companion to avocados, and not only for guacamole. You can chop up a red onion and put it in an airtight container or a sealable bag.
When you put the avocado in, you can place it flesh up so that it does not come into contact with the onion (perfect if you do not like the taste of onion).
Doing this means that you are already part-way through making guacamole, so it’s a bonus, really.
The onion method should last a day or so. Guacamole, anyone?
Break Out The Citrus
Antioxidants in citrus fruits are another great friend for the avocado. The antioxidants work by going against the oxygen in the air, therefore slowing down the browning process in the avocado.
To do this, you can either brush or spay some citrus juice (like lemon, lime or even orange) onto the flesh of a cup avocado. Make sure to play it in an airtight container, too, though.
This method will last for about a day, so you better decide what you are going to use that avocado for in the morning!
Cold Water
Using cold water is another great prevention tactic, but it doesn’t last as long. Giving your avocados a cold water bath will prevent the air from getting to it, but there is still oxygen in water, so it won’t last forever.
This method is a good choice if you need to prepare several avocados in a day to use later in the afternoon or evening.
To do this, all you need to do is fill a bowl to the top with cold water, and add your cut (preferably halved) avocados. Then, you need to place the bowl with the avocados in the refrigerator until you want to use them.
This method will buy you around half a day, but I wouldn’t push it much further than that.
Keeping Guacamole Green
One of the most popular uses for avocados is for guacamole. This delicious tip is usually made of avocados, lime, and a couple of other fresh ingredients like chili, cilantro, onions, and tomatoes.
It is a delicious snack and pairs beautifully with tacos or tortilla chips. If you are a pro at cutting avocados, chances are you make a lot of guacamole.
Pour Oil On Top
Once you have prepared your guacamole and had your fill – you need to store it, right? To keep it looking fresh, you can try pouring oil over the top of it.
You will want to try and get the guac as flat as possible in its dish before pouring oil over. Make sure it is in an airtight container before doing this, too.
You should pour around ⅛ of an inch of oil over to be sure, but don’t ever do it. Pouring oil will form a barrier and prevent any oxygen from coming into contact with your hard work.
Before serving or eating it again, pour the oil off the top or stir it in. Get eating!
Create A Barrier With Plastic Wrap
This one is pretty straightforward – get some plastic wrap and wrap it over the guac. There isn’t anything else to it, just make sure it is airtight and that there are no air bubbles below the wrap.
Try Using A Thin Cylinder
If you have a thin cylinder or container, you can scoop out the guacamole into it. That way, only the top of the guac will go brown, as that will be the only part of it exposed to oxygen.
To make this method even better, you can pour some oil over the exposed top before putting a lid of plastic wrap over it. When you have done this, you can refrigerate the guacamole until you eat it again.
Citrus Juice Will Do The Trick
Just like with the regular avocados, you can spray citrus juice over the avocado to keep it fresh. This will work better when you place plastic wrap over it, too.
Doing this will, of course, breathe a barrier (even a double barrier with the wrap), which will keep the guac green and looking as it should.
Final Thoughts On Keeping Avocados And Guacamole Green
And there you have it – some of the best ways to keep your guacamole and olives looking green and fresh. There is always the option to simply eat the fruit, but that isn’t always an option when your eyes are too big for your stomach.
These methods should work well and will help you be able to enjoy your favorite fruit for a little longer.
