Ripen An Avocado In 10 Minutes-Does It Work?

When I am cooking I usually try to plan out my recipes.  But there are those times that I run to the store and figure out dinner plans while I'm there.  Finding a ripe avocado at the store is usually hit or miss.  I found a way to ripen an avocado in 10 minutes, but does it work?

When a recipe calls for a perfectly ripe and silky avocado, it usually takes planning ahead.  But with our busy lives, planning sometimes goes out the window.  You can go from store to store and hope you find that perfect one, but let's face that is a long shot.  I recently found a 'life hack' that shared a quick and easy way to ripen an avocado in just 10 minutes.

If this works, it will change the way I plan dinner forever.  So I had to try it!

The original hack said preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Then, to wrap the avocado in foil then place in a baking dish and for 10 minutes.  Avocados release ethylene gas, which is how they ripen.  The foil is keeping the gases in so it speeds up the ripening process.

I wanted to follow it completely.  So I preheated my oven and wrapped my hard unripened avocado in foil.  I put it in a baking dish and put it in the oven.  After 10 minutes I check it and there was absolutely no change.  So I decided to keep it in the oven and check on it periodically.  Here's what happened.

10 minutes: No change

20 minutes: No Change

30 minutes: It seems like it may be getting softer but can't really tell.

40 minutes: I think it's a little softer, but just a little.

50 minutes:Ok now there is actually some change in color and softness.

60 minutes: Finally, it looks like it worked.  The avocado feels ripe.

After an hour, it finally feels like it worked.  I removed the foil and let the avocado cool completely.  It took about 30 minutes and it softened a little more. Overall, it took way longer than expected.  The softness felt ripe but the texture and taste were a little off.  It didn't taste bad but it did taste different.

If I were needing an avocado for a recipe, I'd just plan better but if I was in a bind and needed to throw this recipe together, I'd do it.  I would say that 10 minutes to ripen an avocado was a fail.