How to Pick an Avocado

Learn how to pick an avocado and how to tell if an avocado is ripe with these simple tips.

5 avocados showing going green on the top and then getting darker and more ripe to black avocados on the bottom.

Whenever I’m stocking up on avocado or even buying one avocado people gravitate towards me. I have a method for picking out ripe avocados and also a method for picking out perfect avocados before they ripen and with these simple tips, you’ll have perfect avocados each time you buy them.

How to pick an avocado

two avocados side by side showing one with stem in and one with stem out.

Our top tip is to make sure the stem is still attached at the top.

how to pick an avocado with stem showing left with stem and right avocado brown inside missing stem from purchase.

Why? Once that stem is removed the avocado is exposed to air and the air gets inside the avocado and causes browning. This is why you sometimes see an avocado have brown flesh inside on the top, but the rest of the avocado is a beautiful green.

how to pick an avocado with stem showing left with stem freshly remove and green inside and right avocado brown inside missing stem from purchase.

Anytime there’s air exposed to the avocado it will cause browning so this tip goes for picking out a ripe avocado or an unripe avocado.

fresh avocados cut in half showing a ripe avocado and overripe avocado

Does this mean you can’t buy any without it? No, but you do run the risk of having some browning on your avocado flesh.

hand holding an overripe avocado half without seed.

hand holding a half of an avocado with seed inside.

How to pick a ripe avocado

A ripe avocado will give in to a little pressure, it will almost feel like a squishy stress ball, but not as soft. It should have a darker green color, whereas an unripe avocado will have a lighter green color.

You do not want to see any dryness or indentations, a dry and hard avocado that is dark green is no longer good.