How to pick a ripe avocado

An underripe avocado is hard and astringent; an overripe one turns stringy and bitter, and either will ruin the dish you bought it for. The most reliable test is not the colour of the skin — it is pressing gently around the stem with your fingertips.

Judging by feel

An unripe avocado barely yields at all; the skin feels as hard as a stone. One at its peak gives a slight, even depression when cradled in your palm and squeezed gently, then springs back slowly. If it sinks deep without recovering, or feels loose and watery, it has almost certainly gone past its best.

The stem test

Flick off the small stem cap at the top of the fruit. Bright green underneath means it needs a few more days. Pale brown usually means it is exactly ready. Dark brown or black generally means it is overripe, or has started to blacken inside.

Ripening and storage

An unripe avocado can be ripened faster by leaving it in a paper bag with an apple or a banana at room temperature — usually one to three days. One that is already ripe but not wanted yet should go in the fridge, which will slow further softening for another two or three days.