10 Avocado Myths You Need To Stop Believing

Avocados are an objectively popular fruit, with memes and avocado-everything recipes taking the internet by storm. They're versatile, rich, fatty, and loved by many, with a few exceptions for folks who are put off by the texture. While they get a bad rap for ripening too rapidly (leaving a small window of time for consumption) and are infamous for sky high prices, folks still flock to the grocery store to grab avocados galore. But with popularity also comes gossip, and this green fruit is no exception to that rule.

Various avocado myths have spread like wildfire, creating purchase hesitance and generally accepted misinformation. It's time to set the record straight, so you can be an informed consumer, and go back to enjoying avocados, worry-free.

As a recipe designer and chef, and with Plant-Based Nutrition Certification from Cornell, it's my job to defend these mash-able fruits. Perhaps you've heard some negative health-related rumors about avocados in regards to fat. Maybe you've seen so much confusing content about selecting ripe avocados, or when to crack them open, that you're just too overwhelmed to tangle with them. Whatever the case, it's important to know your product, and set the story straight. So follow along to reveal the truth about avocados, and dissolve these pesky myths.

Have you ever seen memes or TikToks about folks turning their back for one second, only to find that their previously rock-solid avocado has become overripe and mushy? While these skits are based in comedy, the truth of the matter is that avocados have a smaller window of time for ripeness than most other produce. However, you don't have to use your avocado the moment it ripens. In fact, the best thing you can do when your avocado is ripe or on the edge of ripeness is to toss it in the refrigerator.

This slows down the ripening process, and gives you a larger window to use the fruit. Using this simple hack is absolutely life-changing, and surprisingly, not necessarily common knowledge. However, the biggest hurdle is making sure that your avocados make it into the refrigerator on time.

My advice would be to ripen them out on the counter where you can see them, and check on them daily. A bowl in the pantry or in a basket can be easily forgotten for days at a time, and as we know, it may be too late. Toss them in the refrigerator when they are just slightly firmer than you'd like, with a gentle finger press only giving in slightly to the pressure for the largest window of usability. Store those avocados in the refrigerator only once signs of ripeness begin, or you'll be in it for the long haul.

Typically, we see avocados adorning tacos, salads, burgers, and other savory dishes. The balance of the neutral fattiness pairs nicely with salt and umami notes, without overpowering other ingredients, herbs, or spices. While they can make an incredible addition to many meals, avocados also have a hidden talent: producing incredibly creamy desserts.

Now, if you really think about it, avocados are a fruit with a mellow, buttery, and nutty flavor, which isn't exclusive to savory dining. In fact, they're so neutral that they can be a vehicle for flavor carrying ingredients like cocoa, sweeteners, other fruits, and spices. Avocados can be whipped into pudding, icing, and even mashed into baked goods to create density and moisture retention. Simply put, avocados are the secret ingredient your desserts need. They create the perfect mouthfeel when whipped or blended, resembling a rich mousse.

You can even make a rich chocolate mousse with just 2 ingredients: A ripe avocado, and melted chocolate. Avocados are a great alternative to dairy in some cases, and can even be used as a vegan egg replacer in baked goods like vegan brownies or cake mix. Avocados hold up like whipped butter, and can be used in frosting. This is advantageous because of the high fiber content of avocados, along with the "good fats" (long chain fatty acids) as opposed to saturated fats. Not only does this swap promote a health boost, but also tastes rich, dreamy, and dense.

Avocados have a nice, mild, neutral flavor, but that doesn't mean they're flavorless. Similar to potatoes, tofu, and rice, they have a pleasing undertone while remaining in the background. This draws some appeal when paired with bold or spicy foods, providing some balance. It's also desirable for recipes that are meant to be mild, like avocado toast that gently eases you into your day.

Avocados themselves have a distinct nuttiness, along with slight earthy undertones. Underripe avocados can come off as a bit green or grassy tasting, while overly ripped avocados have round or even bitter notes. So, what's the best way to enhance and appreciate the natural flavors of our favorite fatty fruit? Salt.

Salt can help to bring out hidden flavors, and help them to find their voice. Just a small pinch will do. You can also venture into other seasonings like pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, or onion powder. Another method is adding a flavor you've likely enjoyed in your guacamole: Acidity. Citrus juice or vinegar can help to enhance avocados natural flavor. When it comes to avocado toast, experiment with seasoning upgrades to make it your own. While not flavorless, avocados do open the door for bold flavor pairings to help enhance the eating experience.

Avocados are filled to the brim with fat. Each avocado has an average of 29 grams of fat, which is about 37% of the daily recommended allowance for adults. Then again, very few people are likely to eat an entire avocado at a time, and most (but not all) of the fat found in avocados is monounsaturated fat, which is associated with lowered risk of certain diseases.

Additionally, while folks often avoid fat when trying to lose weight, given its associated high caloric concentration, avocados tend to have a positive association with weight loss when studied. Therefore, avoiding avocados when trying to lose weight might not be the most effective method, even if they are generally high in calories.

You may be missing out on some other great health benefits if you avoid avocados because of the fat content. Factors like high fiber content, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals play into the increased health benefits associated with eating avocados. While it's important to listen to your doctor if they give you dietary parameters to follow, just because something contains fat doesn't necessarily mean it will promote unhealthy weight gain. As with any food, enjoy in moderation.

Avocados are notorious for oxidizing rapidly once opened. Folks have tried just about every trick to slow the oxidizing process, and while some methods work for a period, that brown coloring is sure to creep up eventually. But if you aren't ready to enjoy your avocado within that time frame, you might as well freeze it. That's right: You can actually freeze avocados to preserve their freshness without spoiling them.

There are a few tried and true methods that work, and you can select one based on your desired outcome. The first method is to toss a ripe (but not overly ripe) avocado into the freezer — un-pierced, with skin and all. This method only works if you plan on defrosting the entire avocado before using it, and will result in some browning. This works well for guacamole, or other mashable meals. As with any fruit or vegetable, the freezing and thawing process may disrupt and break down the fibers. But you can also pre-mash the avocado and freeze it in ice cube trays or muffin tins, then crack them into an air-tight freezer bag.

If you'd rather use slices of frozen avocado in your recipe, then you'll want to peel, remove the pit, and slice your avocado before freezing it. The only issue is that the chunks are likely to stick together and can be difficult to break apart. This also creates more surface area for oxidization so you'll need to use it right away, instead of letting it slowly thaw if you want it to remain relatively green.

As someone who did this for years hoping for the best, I can say that storing avocados with the pit doesn't work. Storing the pit on the avocado can help reduce oxidation with the area it makes contact with, like any other type of seal, but it doesn't help the fruit as a whole. In other words, you can stop plopping that pit into your bowl of guac to keep it fresh, though you can certainly leave it attached to a halved avocado.

There are other methods to help result in a brighter, less oxidized avocado. First, don't slice into your avocado until the last minute. This will prevent long-term air exposure, or at least reduce it. Next, use an acid like lime juice to stabilize the free radicals as well as lower the pH level, as both of these can slow the browning process.

Another way to keep your avocado bright and green is by sealing it in an air-tight container. Oxidation is caused by oxygen exposure, after all, so the less oxygen the better. That being said, storing your pit in with a cut avocado or guacamole can't hurt, so if it makes you feel better to keep the family together, that's your prerogative. Bonus tip: When using only half at a time, I like to cut my avocado around the middle instead of stem to base, which creates less exposed surface area.

It's time. You brought home a bundle of avocados a few days ago and one of them has darkened, softened, and is ready to open. You spent a whopping two dollars on this bad boy, and you're ready to see the results. You reach for a knife, slice through that tough reptile-like skin, and boom: Those horrid brown strings are laced through the entire fruit, meaning it's rotten, ruined, and wrecked. But don't throw them away too quickly, because those brown strings don't actually mean your avocado is past its "use by" date.

You will actually be perfectly safe enjoying your textured avocado, as it has not gone bad in this state. In fact, the brown strings are called vascular bundles and are harmless. They're often a result of fruit picked from an immature tree, or unsuitable storage conditions.

Of course, we recognize that exact texture isn't always appealing, so the final decision is up to you. You can mash it up anyway to serve with chips, or let it plummet to its death in the bottom of the compost pile. Instead of tossing it out, you can also consider blending it into a smoothie, or use it for avocado pudding to break up the vascular bundles.

Although most of the time it seems your avocados ripen in the blink of an eye, sometimes it feels like centuries pass without so much as a color deepening or flesh softening. This can be frustrating when you're planning on a taco Tuesday, but the fruit has other ideas for later in the week. Some folks claim placing avocados in direct sunlight can help, with others mentioning microwaving the fruit. However, these methods are not as consistent, and can result in uneven ripening or even rotting on some parts of the fruit.

The heat from the sunlight or microwave will soften the flesh, but the fruit will remain unripened, which the flavor will reflect. Instead of seeking sunlight, turn to the dark side. Place your fruit in a paper bag to perfectly ripen your avocado.

The science behind ripening fruit in a brown paper bag has to do with ethylene gas. Avocado produces this gas which promotes ripening, so trapping the gas in the bag results in more ethylene production, which speeds along the process. You will still need to use a dash of patience. If you need a ripe avocado on a specific day, the best method is to buy an avocado you believe will be ripe before then, and pop it in the refrigerator once it's ripe.

There are a few indicators of a ripe avocado. Feel is your best bet, but another you can do with just your eyes. Does it look dark green or even have a hint of purple? It may be ripe. However, avocados vary in coloration due to a number of factors, like variety and natural variation – meaning a darker shade isn't an automatic indicator.

Hass avocados, for instance, have a naturally darker skin than tropical varieties, which tend to be bright green. In fact, when I was in Tanzania, I was shocked to find massive, bright green, thin-skinned, smooth avocados, with rich buttery green-yellow interiors that were ripe and ready to eat. Therefore, if you have a green avocado that has turned dark green or purple, it is likely a sign of ripening. If your variety doesn't change color or is dark green to begin with, then it's best to rely on other methods.

To determine ripeness of the fruit, try gently pressing your thumb into the unpeeled fruit to see if it gives pressure. If not, give it some more time to ripen, no matter the coloring. The outside of an avocado can tell you a lot about its ripeness in many cases, but your best bet is to give it a feel, because looks can be deceiving.

If you're the type of person that picks off the stem of an avocado at the grocery store to help with your decision making, please stop. This is the same mentality that leads folks to peel open corn at the store, then toss it back when they deem it unworthy. It damages the produce, makes it undesirable to other customers, and may result in food waste. There are plenty of ways to tell if an avocado is ripe without damaging it, so it's best to take an alternative route.

What is the biggest arch enemy of avocados? Air exposure. When you pluck the stem off, it unseals the avocado, exposing it to oxygen which jumpstarts the oxidation process. This can result in quickened ripening, or even rotting. This is why you should always buy avocado with the stem intact, similar to how you'd avoid a jar of pickles if the seal was broken.

That being said, if you must, buy the avocado first and remove the stem at home to check the ripeness. The nub will come off easily on a ripe avocado, revealing deliciously green flesh underneath. Just try to use it shortly after removing the stem to prevent excessive oxidation.