Curious the best way to store avocado? Whether your avocado is whole, cut in half or in pieces, or whether it’s ripe or unripe, discover my tips for how to save an avocado to keep it fresh. These tips are super handy if you’re wondering how to pack your avocado for lunch, too!

Avocados, lined up on the left side of the image. Some of the avocados are sliced to revel the flesh and pit inside and other avocados are whole.

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Avocados are one of my favorite pieces of produce to have on hand at all time. An excellent source of natural fat, fiber and oodles of vitamins, avocados are easy to add a little green to almost any meal!

However, avocados are notorious from going from underripe to over ripe in the blink of an eye. And truthfully, nothing makes me sadder in the kitchen then discovering an avocado that has gone to mush before I have had a chance to enjoy it!

Also check out tips and tricks for how to store spinach (so it stays fresh all week) and how to store cabbage (whole, half or shredded).

Luckily over the years of veggie-loading, I have eaten a lot of avocados and have mastered how to store them at all stages of ripeness. This helpful how-to is perfect for all eating styles, since avocados are vegan, plant-based, Paleo, vegetarian, gluten free and everything in between….so save these tips and share them with a friend!

How to store an unripe and uncut avocado
How to tell if an avocado is ripe
How to store a ripe, uncut avocado
How to store half an avocado
How to pack an avocado in a lunch box
How to freeze avocado
Recipes that use avocado
Other veggie how-tos

3 unripe avocados on a white marble top with a cantaloup and glass jar or cooking utensils in the background.

How to save an avocado

This all depends on a lot of things. If your avocado is ripe, then it needs to be stored in the fridge ASAP vs. if your avocado is under ripe, than to the fruit bowl it goes!. If your avocado is cut, it needs all kinds of special love vs. whole, it can just hang out. But don’t worry, I have it all covered below for you so you know exactly what to do to save that avocado for later!

How to store an unripe and uncut avocado

Many find themselves buying unripe avocados and waiting for that perfect magic moment when they are ready for slicing.

If you have a handful of unripe, firm or green avocados, the best way I have found to store them is to simply leave them on the counter.

It usually takes about four or five days of avocados hanging out at room temperature to ripen to perfection. During the hotter months when your home might be warmer than usual, an avocado might ripen in just 2 days. So keep an eye on them and give them a gentle squeeze each day so you don’t forget about them.

How to tell if an avocado is ripe

The secret is in the stem. True story. Just peel back the stem and take a peak underneath.

Stem is firmly in place and won’t easily lift = unripe avocado
Stem pulls away easily and flesh is green underneath = ripe avocado
Stem pretty much falls off and flesh is brown underneath = overripe avocado

A single ripe avocado on a refrigerator shelf next to artichokes and celery. Strawberries and an egg carton are on the shelf below.

How to store a ripe, uncut avocado

Perfect! You have played the patience game and now you have a perfectly ripe avocado on your hands. But, maybe you are not ready to enjoy it just yet! So how do you store this avocado?

Ripe avocados that are whole and have not been cut open can be stored in the refrigerator. This greatly prolongs their life and they usually stay perfectly ripe in the fridge for about 3 days.

How to store half an avocado

The trick to keeping a cut avocado as green as possible is slowing the oxidization of that beautiful green flesh. Which basically means that you need to protect that pretty avocado from as much air getting to it as possible.

There are a few ways to do this.

Brush the exposed flesh with a little avocado or olive oil. This will create a barrier between the flesh and air, slowing down browning. I find a pastry brush is perfect for the job.
Run the cut side under some water. Again, this coats the flesh and helps to create a barrier between the avocado and the air that is dying to turn it brown.
Store it flesh side down in an air-tight container in the fridge. Turning the avocado flesh side down instantly limits how much air can get to it.
Wrap the avocado tightly in plastic wrap. This, again, greatly reduces the amount of air that can get to the flesh of the avocado.
Do a combination of the above. I find this to be the best thing and the strategy that typically use. I will coat the flesh of a cut avocado with either water or a little oil and store it flesh-side-down in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Heads up! While these methods help to keep your cut avocado green longer, the sliced fruit should be enjoyed in the next 1-2 days.

How to pack an avocado in a lunch box

I love to throw a 1/2 an avocado in my daughter’s lunch box for an easy dose of healthy fat and green that I know she will eat. However, I don’t know many kiddos excited about eating browned (though totally edible) avocados. So it does take a little specialty packing.

To pack an avocado in a lunch box, simply:

Cut the avocado in half.
Remove the pit, but leave the skin on. You can also score the flesh a few times to make it easier for your child (or you!) to scoop out later, but that is optional and something I usually skip.
Sprinkle some water or use a pastry brush to coat the exposed flesh of the avocado with a little avocado or olive oil.
Store avocado flesh side down in a lunch container or tightly wrap it in plastic wrap before placing it in your child’s lunch box.
Pack a spoon! That way the flesh can easily scooped out and enjoyed when lunch time comes!

A stainless-steel lunch container with 1/2 an avocado, cheese chunks, seeds, tomatoes, grapes and blueberries.

How to freeze avocado

Yep! You can totally freeze ripe avocados! In fact, many natural grocery stores will even sell frozen avocado in their freezer section. This is also a great solution for when you have too many ripe avocados on your hand and not enough time to eat them before they get gross.

Freezing avocado when ripe makes for a wonderful thing to throw in smoothies or other avocado-filled recipes like the ones below!

FYI: frozen and thawed avocados won’t maintain that lovely shade of green that we know and love. But they are still edible!

To freeze ripe avocados:

Cut open avocado(s)
Remove pit.
Scoop out flesh or remove peel.
Chop avocado flesh into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet in a single layer, ensuring that the avocado pieces aren’t touching (otherwise they will freeze together).
Place flat in freezer and freeze until solid (about 6 hours).
Place frozen avocado pieces in a freezer safe container and place back in freezer for up to a month.
Remove avocado pieces for use in smoothies and recipes as needed.

Avocado recipes

Like I said, avocados are one of my favorite kitchen goodies. They are always on my grocery list and I totally get bummed out when I use the last avocado.

I like to throw them over eggs in the morning, tacos at night and mush them up for an easy sandwich filling at lunch time. However, if you need a little inspiration how to use your perfectly stored avocados, here are some avocado-loaded recipes that I adore!