ShelfLife
How long do avocados last?
Let avocados ripen on the counter, which usually takes a few days. Once ripe, they keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. A cut avocado is best eaten within a day or two.
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| AvocadosFridge time is for ripe avocados. | 3–4 days | Not recommended | Until ripe |
Fridge at 4 °C (40 °F) or colder, freezer at −18 °C (0 °F). Freezer times are for best quality: food kept frozen stays safe, but slowly loses taste and texture. These times are USDA guidance, not a guarantee. When in doubt, throw it out.
How to tell if an avocado has gone bad
- A sour, rancid or chemical smell.
- Mold on the skin or inside, often white or gray fuzz.
- Flesh that is brown or black throughout, stringy, or has dark streaks. A few brown spots can be cut away.
- A very soft avocado with a sunken, dented skin is overripe. Light green or yellow-green flesh with no off smell is fine.
How to store avocados
- Keep unripe avocados at room temperature. To ripen them faster, put them in a paper bag with a banana or an apple.
- An avocado is ripe when it gives slightly to gentle pressure. Flick off the small stem cap: green underneath means ready, brown means overripe.
- Move ripe avocados to the fridge to keep them 3 to 4 more days.
- For a cut half, leave the pit in, brush the flesh with lemon or lime juice, and wrap it tightly or keep it in a sealed container. Any browning on the surface is oxidation; scrape it off.
Can you freeze avocados?
The USDA doesn't recommend freezing avocados: whole or sliced, the flesh turns watery and dark. If you'd rather not throw a ripe avocado away, mash it with lemon or lime juice and freeze it in a sealed bag, then use it in dips, spreads or smoothies, where the texture matters less.
Questions
Should you put avocados in the fridge?
Only once they're ripe. Cold stops unripe avocados from ripening properly, but it keeps a ripe one good for 3 to 4 more days.
Is it safe to eat a brown avocado?
Browning on a cut surface is oxidation, not spoilage: scrape off the brown layer. If the flesh is brown or black all the way through, smells rancid or is moldy, throw it out.
How long does guacamole last?
Store-bought guacamole keeps a few days in the fridge once opened; follow the date on the pack. Homemade guacamole is best eaten the same day. Press plastic wrap onto its surface to slow browning.
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Storage times: USDA FoodKeeper (Food Safety and Inspection Service), public domain. Text by ShelfLife.