How to Freeze Avocados

When I was younger I used to buy avocados constantly regardless of the price. I loved the way that they tasted and wanted to make sure I always had them on hand. As I got a little older, and my bills increased, I found that it wasn’t always practical to buy them. In the off season the price would practically double. It’s not a big deal if you are buying one or two but when I was buying 4-5 of them per week it made a bigger difference. I started looking for ways to have avocados without having to pay the increased price. I started working in food service and realized freezing avocados is actually a common practice so I decided to give it a shot. Here is the best way I’ve found how to freeze avocados.

Ripeness

It’s important to make sure that your avocados are ripe before freezing. I made this mistake before. My avocados weren’t ripe enough and they were way too firm. I had a hard time cutting them to even get them in the freezer. Then, on top of that, they weren’t very good when they came out of the freezer. The thing to remember is- how you freeze your avocados is how they will come out of the freezer. They won’t come out more soft because they were frozen. This also means that you don’t want them to be mushy and brown either. They will come out just as mushy and brown. The freezer can’t save overripe avocados. I realize that getting the perfect avocado is hard to do but there are a few ways you can help yourself.

How to Ripen Avocados

Bananas

The easiest way to let avocados ripen is to just leave them on the counter. If you have time to just let them sit they will ripen all on their own. If you want to speed up this process you can set them next to your bananas on the counter. There is some sort of gas that comes off bananas. This gas causes the avocados to ripen more quickly than before. Also a note if you don’t want them to ripen don’t put them by the bananas!

Paper Bag

Another way to get avocados to ripen is to put them in a bag. Just use a normal paper bag and roll it up. Again, I don’t know exactly why this works. There is something about the light not getting in that helps. There is also something about the air that is inside of the bag. You can put them in the bag and roll it up. Then just check it to make sure it’s at the ripeness that you need it to be at. They won’t ripen the same day but they will ripen more quickly than they would just sitting on the counter. 

Oven

The third, and probably my least recommended, way is to put them in the oven. This trick actually came to me from a woman at the grocery store. She spoke mainly spanish so it was a little hard for me to understand. However, from what I grasped, you can bake the avocados to get them to ripen. They shouldn’t need a lot of heat or a lot of time. I’ve done it where I put them in for 350 for about 10 minutes. It did make them a little more soft. I never really left them in for too long though, I was too scared. Plus, the skin was hot and it was hard to get them out. Note to self, if you try this method put them on a sheet pan so you can pull them in and out quickly. One of these days I will get the courage to really give this a shot to see if I can hit the perfect ripeness level. 

How to Freeze Avocados

Once your avocados are at the perfect ripeness level they are ready for freezing. Cut them in halves or quarters. However you prefer to have them cut. Lay them out on a sheet pan. I prefer to line it with wax or parchment paper to make it even easier. Put them in the freezer to flash freeze. Basically leave them in for 2-3 hours until frozen. I’ve honestly left them overnight and they were also just fine. Remove them from the pan and put them into a bag or container for long term storage. 

Shelf Life

I would recommend that you use these up within 3-6 months. I’m no expert on shelf life so you can use your best judgement here. I used mine within 6 months because I was a little nervous about it. Being that it is fruit and not meat I just wasn’t comfortable storing them long term. 

Thawing For Use

To use, remove what you need and let them thaw either in the fridge or on the counter. I’ve used them in a batch of guacamole and in our favorite avocado cookie recipe. If you are baking something these are absolutely perfect and perform just as well as fresh avocados. I’ve also used them in salads as well. I can taste a difference in them when I try to eat them with other fresh foods but not enough to stop doing it. I didn’t think they were disgusting or slimy, just not as flavorful as the fresh version.

When I first started freezing avocados it was for the price of them. In their peak season they are very cheap. I’ve seen them for less than 50 cents each at our local Aldi. In the off season I’ve seen them for over $2 each too. Makes much more sense to stock up on them when they are cheap. I’m a planner so I like to put in the work to preserve these and have them on hand. Let us know how you freeze your avocados. If you are new to it and start freezing your avocados we’d love to know what recipes you like to use them in!