The Art of Avocado Ripening

A couple weeks ago, on Black Friday, I turned 29.  I felt it was oddly appropriate because I'm about 99% sure that I am not going to handle 30 well. And for anyone out there that's about to hop on their, "Oh you're still so young, 30 is nothing," horse, please refrain.  Logic has no role here.  I don't know where I thought I was going to be at 29 years old, but I know I never dreamed I would be attached to an ice pack because of an alpaca.  He used his head to hit me with a right hook, giving me a swollen and bruised jaw.  I can't make this stuff up. 

Anyway, I think you should learn at least one big thing each year so that getting older isn't quite so depressing.  When I was in school it was easy.  One year I didn't know how to cut open a live animal without killing it, and the next year I did.  It gets harder when you have a job.  Not that I don't get to see some interesting things, but big leaps of skill aren't really part of the deal anymore.

Turns out what I learned this year, were avocados.

I love, love, love salsa (the hotter the better) so guacomole to me is very much a take it or leave it condiment.  I don't like that it turns brown.  Its texture is disturbing when it is warm.  I don't dislike it, but it's not by any means a necessity.  So I'm not sure why, but one day I bought an avocado and I decided to chop it up and add it to a salad.  It was awesome.  I became an avocado convert but the challenge was in the ripening.

Since I grocery shop once a week and it's a very organized event. Yes, I can hear you guys now:  "Julie?  Organized? Noooo."  Whatever.  The problem with an avocado addiction is that they don't ripen like anything else. So if shop once a week and you need (alright, want) an avocado available on any given day do you buy them already ripe?  Almost ripe?  Not ripe at all?  It took pretty much the entire year, but I finally figured it out.

I buy 3-4 avocados a week,  1 almost ripe, 2 not ripe at all, and the occasional 4th at my discretion.  I know exactly when to pull them out of the crisper and put them at room temperature.  In my kitchen, there is (nearly) always an avocado ready to go for salads, sandwiches, or whatever else I might desire. 

Necessary skill?  No.  Life changing skill?  Not even a little bit.  Something that makes me feel like I've got at least a little handle on my life?  Absolutely.