The Secret to Keeping an Avocado Green

/ Tip / 41 Comments

I think most people would agree that avocados are great – they’re creamy, delicious, great on sandwiches, in guacamole and full of healthy fats. The one thing that no one likes about them, however, is that they quickly turn an icky brown color after you cut them open. I’m a visual person and I like my food to look good so this really doesn’t make me happy.

I’ve tried lemon juice, leaving the pit in, and covering them with plastic wrap but I still end up with at least some spots of brown. Recently I read a blurb in a magazine about submerging a cut avocado in water to keep it from turning brown. I promptly forgot about it, but the next time I had an avocado half leftover it suddenly popped into my head.

Could that possibly work? I put 2 avocado halves in a bowl of water, placed it in the fridge and came back 8 hours later. Do you know what I found? The avocado at the top of this post! I pulled it out of the fridge (looking perfectly green as if I just cut into it) and took a picture of it. Then I put it back in the fridge and 36 hours later it just barely had a tinge of brown.

The only issue with this method is the avocado becomes wet. If you leave the peel on, only the exposed part is wet and that doesn’t really matter for guacamole, other dips, smoothies, etc. For sandwiches or other recipes where you’d want a dry avocado, I think you could just wipe it off with a paper towel and it would probably be fine.

Do you have any special tricks for keeping an avocado green?

41 Comments on The Secret to Keeping an Avocado Green

  1. Sandra
    June 1, 2011 at 1:13 pm (13 years ago)

    Thank you. I’ve thrown away so many because of the icky brown color. This helps big time.
    Sandra recently posted Me Versatile Alrighty Then!

    Reply
    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:10 pm (13 years ago)

      @Sandra – you’re welcome! I was so happy to discover this works and glad to share it with others.

    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:09 pm (13 years ago)

      @Molly – isn’t that great?! I’m happy to share this tip and prevent brown avocados everywhere.

    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:09 pm (13 years ago)

      @Erin – Leanna above said the same thing – we must read the same magazines. Give it a try next time you have an avocado!

  4. Leanna @ Raptortoe
    June 1, 2011 at 2:06 pm (13 years ago)

    I heard that recently too! I normally just eat the whole damn avocado though. SO good.
    Leanna @ Raptortoe recently posted An attempt at Pho

    Reply
    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:08 pm (13 years ago)

      @Leanna – we must have read the same magazine (was it Bon Appetit?). I know what you mean about eating the whole thing though – avocados are dangerous like that!

    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:07 pm (13 years ago)

      @Lyndsey – great! Enjoy 🙂

    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:07 pm (13 years ago)

      @Angie – you’re welcome! 🙂

  7. Annie
    June 2, 2011 at 5:42 am (13 years ago)

    I have always wondered how to keep a avocado green. Now I know! Thanks!
    Annie recently posted Fruit Pizza

    Reply
    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:07 pm (13 years ago)

      @Annie – me too! I was so happy to find this tip.

    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:07 pm (13 years ago)

      @Elyse – no problem! Hope it works as well for you.

  9. sensiblecooking
    June 2, 2011 at 12:15 pm (13 years ago)

    That is great tip Stephanie. I love Avocado. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:06 pm (13 years ago)

      @sensiblecooking – you’re welcome!

    • Stephanie
      June 3, 2011 at 12:06 pm (13 years ago)

      @Nika – thanks! I’ve never tried using olive oil on cut avocados before.

  11. Medifast Coupon
    June 6, 2011 at 6:53 am (13 years ago)

    I think avocados are small for a reason, you can eat one in one sitting. We were having this discussion last night, my daughter’s fiance makes a wonderful guacamole and it just doesn’t keep well because he uses so many avocados so we have to eat it all at one sitting.
    Medifast Coupon recently posted Exercise Activities to Help Get Rid of Flabby Arms

    Reply
    • Stephanie
      June 6, 2011 at 4:22 pm (13 years ago)

      @Medifast Coupon – that’s true, you can sometimes eat avocados in one sitting. I get really big ones sometimes (maybe because I’m in California) and I can only manage 1/2 of those at a time. Having too much guacamole is a fun problem to have! 😉

    • Stephanie
      June 10, 2011 at 7:54 pm (13 years ago)

      @Shelly – you’re very welcome!

  13. Lisa
    June 29, 2011 at 12:44 am (13 years ago)

    This is awesome..fantastic tip. Now the question..How do you keep guacamole green so it cane be made ahead of time, and remain green afterward? 🙂

    Reply
  14. Anita
    August 30, 2011 at 8:18 pm (13 years ago)

    I just was put on a low sodium diet and was wondering how to keep the avocadoes from turning brown before i use them thanks so much for the advice 🙂

    Reply
  15. Brooke
    October 26, 2011 at 1:43 pm (13 years ago)

    If you leave the pit in the half you are not using it will keep it fresh. You can also drop the pit into the bowl of guac and it will help keep it fresh too.

    Reply
  16. amal
    November 21, 2011 at 6:20 am (13 years ago)

    thank you for sharing this lovely idea.

    Reply
    • Stephanie
      January 20, 2012 at 8:04 am (13 years ago)

      @Jessica – hope it worked for you!

  18. Chuck
    February 20, 2012 at 8:00 pm (13 years ago)

    I purchased a pint of guacamole and it stayed fresh and green in the fridge for close to a week. There must be an ingredient that when added, it keep it fresh longer. So what is it?

    Reply
    • Stephanie
      February 20, 2012 at 9:00 pm (13 years ago)

      @Chuck – citric acid can also help keep them green

  19. Carlos
    May 28, 2013 at 12:05 pm (12 years ago)

    […] actually, even for the guacamole you can also use the bowl and water trick… whaaat?!!! Yes, you just need to place the pit into the bowl with water and as long as the pit remains under water the guacamole remains green and doesn’t turn brown.

    Just try it and share your observations.

    Reply
  20. Jess
    July 2, 2013 at 12:36 pm (11 years ago)

    What temperature water did you use? Ice cold? Room temp? Thanks for the tip. 🙂
    Jess recently posted Chipotle Lime Salad

    Reply
    • Stephanie Nuccitelli
      July 5, 2013 at 12:56 pm (11 years ago)

      Jess, I used cold water from the tap and then put it in the fridge, so it ended up ice cold.

  21. carol nectow
    August 23, 2013 at 6:53 pm (11 years ago)

    I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of an avocado with a watered flavor and then it dawned on me. I can’t use lemon juice (I’m allergic to fruit), but I can drink white wine. So, I filled the bottom of a seal-tight plastic bag, put a cut avocado, pit attached, “face” down and sealed the baggie. Tonight, two days later, I took the baggie from the refrigerator, opened it, and removed the just-like-new avocado! The taste of wine was barely evident. EUREKA!

    Reply
  22. Surya
    September 23, 2013 at 7:04 am (11 years ago)

    Aaaah I’ve been craving avocados for so long but I hate having to waste half of it just evade it turns so gross in a day. On my way to the store to get one now!! Excited and fingers crossed!!!!
    Surya recently posted Unbound Creativity: Art Blogs on WordPress.com

    Reply
  23. eira molton
    September 4, 2014 at 11:43 am (10 years ago)

    when you have cut an avacado in halt remove the pit and put lemon jucie on some tin foil and wrap it up tight .It really works for a few days

    Reply

3Pingbacks & Trackbacks on The Secret to Keeping an Avocado Green

  1. Time Saving Food Prep « Ladder to Success says:
    January 24, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    […] will keep it fresh and prevent it from browning, but unfortunately it’s just that — a myth. One effective trick is to place the halves in a bowl of water with the peel still on. Unless you’re making guacamole […]

    Reply
  2. Time Saving Food Prep | Ladder to Success says:
    January 27, 2013 at 7:10 pm

    […] will keep it fresh and prevent it from browning, but unfortunately it’s just that — a myth. One effective trick is to place the halves in a bowl of water with the peel still on. Unless you’re making guacamole […]

    Reply
  3. Does Keeping the Pit in a Half Avocado Really Keep it From Browning? | culinarylore.com says:
    June 29, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    […] we just put it into an ice water bath and keep it in the fridge? Well, according to an article at 52 Kitchen Adventures, this works quite […]

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