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ripening avocados in HK

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  1. #1

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    ripening avocados in HK

    I don't mind that avocados are expensive in HK... I'm willing to 'splash out' if I'm guaranteed a nice avocado... but am I the only one finding that it's hit and miss when it comes to their ripening?

    In UK I leave it at room temperature and it will almost always ripen.

    Here, I often get one that remains hard, or is black when opened at seemingly the right time. Is this due to the warmer temperatures? Any solutions? Thanks!


  2. #2

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    I had an avocado which stayed hard for a week then went rotten! Recently I've done the routine leave in a bowl with a banana thing which seems to work. I do agree though, it's often hit-and-miss. I have also had one at the back of the fridge for over a week - it was perfect when I cut it.
    They are often badly bruised, have to check very carefully when you buy them.

    justjoe86 likes this.

  3. #3

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    Okey doke thanks. Being colour blind doesn't help. I'm not that good at choosing them! Maybe i'll just do without.


  4. #4

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    Don't have to do without! Lightly press with fingers, the skin should be firm but the flesh soft. If it gives a lot then it's bruised.


  5. #5

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    You want to concentrate the ethylene it omits. Wrap it in newspaper. Add a banana to speed things up.


  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax:
    You want to concentrate the ethylene it omits. Wrap it in newspaper. Add a banana to speed things up.
    Yeah, I didn't know much about avocados at first (got disappointed when opening an unripened, tasteless one just left in a fruit bowl a couple of days) so Googled how to ripen them properly. Advice was to wrap them in newspapers or paper bag with a couple of ripening bananas (conditions: in the dark and as DRY as possible or else 'nanas go soggy fast and possibly passing mould onto neighbours' skin)...

    Haven't had a 'failed' avocado since - in just three days, rich green-yellow and all buttery 'how-gum' texture... yum with bananas.

    (Oops, told lie: bought four once on 'special offer' at local wet market, not knowing they'd been improperly stored - in freezing fridge, probably - so these 'cados just wouldn't ripen, instead were still hard, went a bit grey and slightly stringy / fibrous inside.)
    justjoe86 likes this.

  7. #7

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    Thanks all. I guess I could've googled but where's the fun in that.

    Doesnt explain why my experience in HK is worse than UK... perhaps there they have stricter qc, whereas here it's a case of DIYQC. A lot of these problems come down to a lack of competition between rival supermarkets... happy customers isn't essential in hk where there are only a few supermarket chains, mostly owned by the same guy!

    Also I guess warm and humid climate doesn't help


  8. #8

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    I follow what my Mum taught me and that is to put the fruit into the sealed rice container, somehow the uncooked rice helps it rippen. Dont ask me how or prove it to you but that was what my mum taught me and that is what i also do when for eg. green bananas put them into the rice container, next day its yellow.

    Last edited by wtbhotia; 03-06-2011 at 03:33 PM.

  9. #9

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    put it in a paper bag, close it up. perfectly ripe in 2/3 days - and that's guaranteed.


  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramdom:
    put it in a paper bag, close it up. perfectly ripe in 2/3 days - and that's guaranteed.
    Nice one. So if it doesn't work, what's the address I come to for my refund?

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