Avocados are different from most other fruits as they do not ripen until they are picked. The softening of the fruit is a function of its metabolic activity and is affected by many varying controls. The main one is the storage temperature. Avocados are particularly susceptible to low temperatures both whilst growing before harvest and after being picked during the ripening phase⁴². This creates a totally different agricultural approach to the storage before and after they are purchased from the supermarket.

You can visit our picking, ripening, peeling, storing and growing pages for some quick 'How To' avocado facts.

When choosing the best avocados, you should look for consistency all over and avoid the fruits with bruises, flat areas or soft spots. If the avocado is so soft that it does not spring back when pressed, that is overripe. This is the way to choose an avocado that you know you are going to use straight away.

Once they are ripe you can add them to cool salads or heartier hot meals such as:
Asian Noodles with Ginger, Garlic and Avocado
Crab and Pesto Pizza with Avocado
Grilled Miso Chicken with Guilt-Free Mash Potato

If you would like your avocados to be kept for future use, it is best to choose the green, hard fruits and then store them appropriately, so that they can ripen and be added to your healthy recipes when you are ready. Placing an avocado in a brown paper bag with a banana can actually help you speed up the ripening process. This is because of the banana's naturally produced ethylene gas. You should keep the bag at room temperature and the avocado will ripen within two to five days.

You may not use a whole avocado at a time and this will require the storage of a cut fruit. Once the skin is pierced, the oxidisation of avocado starts to occur and this causes the inside flesh to develop a brownish colour. This can easily be delayed by eliminating oxygen or air from the fruit when storing it after it is cut. This can be achieved by drizzling some citrus juice onto it and then wrapping it with plastic wrap very close to the skin, making sure there are as little air pockets as possible.

Once ripened, there are numerous dishes avocados can be used in. Their versatility means that avocados can be added to most traditional family favourite meals - making them a useful ally in your kitchen! They're also handy for sneaking some extra healthy vitamins and minerals into your child's diet. One of my top choices for hot dishes with avocado is this pasta recipe. The kids will love it and never know it's got some great healthy greens!

Creamy avocado sauce with pasta spirals¹¹
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic gloves, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp full fat natural yoghurt
1 tsp of honey
2 cups of pasta, spirals
Flat leaf parsley, chopped (for serving)

Utensils:
Food processor
Spoons
Mixing bowl
Juicer
Serving bowl

Method:
Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse into a creamy consistency.
Cook the spiral pasta until slightly more than al dente and place in a serving bowl and mix through a little olive oil.
Spoon through the avocado sauce and serve with a little parsley on top.