If you’ve ever wondered how to preserve avocados, wonder no more! My family has used this technique for years and it works beautifully.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to keep avocado from turning brown:
- Preserving avocados can save you money
- How to preserve avocados
- Ideas for using frozen avocados
PRESERVE AVOCADOS TO SAVE MONEY
I cannot get enough avocado. In high school, we had an avocado tree in our front yard, and I got avocado whenever I wanted it. In Washington, avocados are freaking expensive! Although various varieties of avocado are available year round, they are typically most affordable in the spring through the fall. When I see a really good deal on avocados (under $1 each for the large size), I buy about ten at a time.
But I can’t actually eat that many avocados before they start to go bad, so I have to preserve them. Rotten avocados are just WRONG! Fortunately, my mom came up with a great technique when we lived in Hawaii.
My dog Rusty loved avocados. They’d fall from the tree and he’d carefully cradle them in his mouth as if he was holding a little green puppy, carrying them around the yard to gently lay in a pile on our front step. It was so much fun to come outside and find the treasure trove of avocados with little delicate golden retriever tooth marks in them. He was definitely good at retrieving and knew exactly what we would value the most.
Every time we collected his bounty, we’d toss a sacrificial avocado to him as thanks for his good work. He’d roll it around for a little while, joyfully playing with his treat, then curl up around it and begin to nibble it open to get at the sweet buttery flesh. (Please note, Rusty was a large dog and did not eat the whole avocado. Eating avocados can be dangerous for dogs. Keep your sweet doggy safe!)
Not wanting the overripe fallen avocados to go to waste, my mom began preserving them in the freezer. She’d mash them up with lemon juice and store them in airtight plastic bags. Then we had mashed avocado ready to eat whenever we wanted it. We used it for guacamole, mixed it into tuna and chicken salad, spread it on sandwiches.
But you don’t have to have an avocado tree to benefit from preserving avocados.
Whether you’re buying them in bulk at Costco, or getting them for a great deal during Super Bowl season, you can save money by preserving avocados when they’re the cheapest. You also end up not wasting your money by having to throw some away when they all ripen at the same time.
HOW TO PRESERVE AVOCADO
The photos below show the basic steps for how to preserve avocado. You can also scroll down to the video if you’d like to watch it and get some additional tips.
I use a Kitchen Aid mixer to mash the avocados as it takes less than a minute. If you don’t have one, you can use a potato masher. A fork works in a pinch, it just takes longer.
I like to bag the avocados in quart bags to freeze them. One avocado worth of mash pressed really flat takes up very little room in the freezer.The photo below is four avocados, because I knew I was saving it for a big batch of guacamole.
As for flavor, you can sub lime juice for the lemon juice if you prefer. I have tried making this without lemon or lime juice and find that it doesn’t taste quite as fresh once thawed. But if you’ll be using it in something with other strong flavors, such as for baking or smoothies, you can try leaving the lemon juice out.
You can also freeze the avocado in ice cube trays. I would go with two inch cubes for a good portion size. Just spoon the mashed avocado into the trays and press plastic wrap onto the surface of the avocado so no air gets in. Freeze it and you then have perfect single serving of avocado whenever you want some.
If you’re wondering if you can freeze whole avocados, I’m sorry to say that it just doesn’t work well. We’ve tried, and we’ve researched it. Avocados really need the airtight seal to keep them from changing in color and flavor.
VIDEO ON HOW TO PRESERVE AVOCADO
IDEAS FOR USING FROZEN AVOCADOS
A lot of people wonder how to thaw the frozen avocado and what it will be like after it thaws.
I will typically do a small enough amount in the quart sized bag that it freezes into a sheet about a half inch thick. Then I can easily break or cut off the amount I want (to spread on a sandwich for instance) and it will defrost quickly on the counter.
If I want the whole bag defrosted, I’ll move it to the fridge to defrost overnight. It will be pretty much the same consistency that it was before freezing, but you’ll want to use it within 24 hours because it will start to oxidize and change color and flavor after that.
Guacamole is of course the obvious answer for mashed avocados. But you can also use it as baby food, in dips, in baking recipes as a substitute for butter or oil, and blend it into smoothies. I often eat it for breakfast.
I have two gallon bags in the freezer right now and could use some more ideas. How do you like to eat mashed avocados? (There have been so many awesome ideas shared in the comments for using mashed avocados, be sure to check them out!)
SUPPLIES FOR PRESERVING AVOCADOS
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How to Preserve Avocados in the Freezer
If you've ever wondered how to preserve avocados, wonder no more! My family has used this technique for years and it works beautifully. For nutritional purposes, I list a serving as half an avocado.
Ingredients
- 5 ripe avocados
- 5 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
Instructions
- Slice the avocados in half and discard pits. Scoop the flesh from the peels.
- Mash the avocados, then add the lemon juice. Mix well.
- Spoon into a gallon sized zip top bag, squeezing out all the air before sealing.
- Freeze up to one year.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
10 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 161Saturated Fat: 2gSodium: 7mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 6gProtein: 2g
We’ve recently updated our post on preserving avocados, which was originally posted in 2012. Here’s the original image to pin if you’d like one with the instructions:
I like mashed avocado best with cold sweetened milk!
Did you know that if oxidation will significantly slow down if you leave the pit in with your avocados? I’ve never frozen before but I’d like to try. When I make fresh Guauc, I leave the pit in the bowl and tell everyone just to eat around it. It will prevent turning brown for over day. No one wants to eat it once it turns (even though it tastes the same). I’m curious if freezing the bag with the pit or freezing the separately might be a good option during the defrost time period.
Jenn… I use my avocado pits to grow trees… in NE Tenn – in pots… no freezing my pits and I like the Florida green avocados
Florida Green are my favorite too. They are less fattening and juicier
Me too Darry! I live in the Tricities area and recently re-potted 5 beautiful avocado seedlings and have another 5 in water sprouting!
I would like more info on sprouting the pits for growth. How do you start them? In dirt or water? Do you dry the pits first? Thank you.
Stick 3 toothpicks into the pit, equally spaced at the widest point. Use the toothpicks to suspend the pit from the rim of a small container like a juice glass, with the wide end up and pointed end down. Fill the juice glass with water so that the lower half (pointed end) of the avocado is resting in the water. Set the glass in a sunny window and wait for roots to grow. Empty and refill the water every third day or so to prevent bacterial growth. When the root is 3″ or longer, pot the seed in rich loose soil with the top of the seed 1/2″ below soil level. Keep your houseplant in a warm room, with lots of sun, keep the soil lightly moist, and you’ve got yourself an avocado tree! Keep repotting in larger pots as it grows, until it reaches the ideal size you want it to be.
Do not dry the pit first – just wash off any avocado flesh. Also, don’t be discouraged if your first try doesn’t take; not all pits are viable. If you are lucky enough to find one that is already beginning to sprout, you’ve got a head start! I’ve never tried it, but I bet if you put an avocado on a plate in the warm sun for a couple of weeks, the pit inside would begin to sprout.
Recently I tried both ways the water and the soil.. Both in disposable glass…. The soil grew in two weeks while water took four to start…. I have pics of them together for comparison… But its interesting to see them grow on window sil… Tc
I live in NE alabama..cane from Florida have grown the trees from pits for years..was told that they wouldn’t holds up through the winter. .how do you sustain them
You can also use Fresh Fruit that u use for canning and the lime or lemon perfect every time
Thank you for this! I love avacados as well and will try this! My husband came up with a recipe for guacamole that has beat all other guacamole I’ve tried. Love this stuff. http://mamarazzipages.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/the-best-guacamole-ever/
I eat them any way that I can get them. I never thought to freeze them, so I will start that! YUM!
Thanks for the good information. We will share your post with our customers, who often order 15 or more avocados direct from our California avocado grove.
That’s wonderful, thanks Mimi!
How can I order direct from you like that??
This is a good tip and I am going to try it. But please everyone, use an alternative to plastic bags. They end up in landfills and the waterways and can last almost for ever. The plastic breaks down into small pieces and birds and fish end up eating it. If they don’t die, we may end up eating the plastic when we eat fish. Glass jars with lids or tupperware are two alternatives to plastic bag storage, and they come in whatever size would work for you. In addition, you save money in the long run. http://oceana.org/en/our-work/stop-ocean-pollution/plastics/learn-act/plastics-and-wildlife
I wash my baggies and reuse them. I have a food saver and it is expensive to buy new ones, so I cut them open carefully and wash and reuse. When too small, I recycle them. And yes, lime juice is fine. No pit needed in freezer, can freeze guac this way too.
Great idea on reusing Food Saver bags! Thanks!
I have started using my glass jars that I can with to store and freeze in and I love them for this purpose. I use my food saver vacuum sealer for jars and things that are fresh last twice as long and I also freeze leftovers in my pint jars for single serving purpose, they work great. I will try this with the avocado’s as I dearly love them and it just makes me crazy to throw any out because it went bad. I am sure it will work great and I really recommend it to anyone my chopped salad when vacuum packed in a jar last twice as long as in plastic bowl or bag.
Thanks! It never occurred to me to freeze them. By golly we’ll be buying more avocados now.
Always happy to encourage more avocados!
Do you have any hint for me? I froze some avocado as directed, but when I removed and thawed part of the bag, it was very liquid. Of course, I just went ahead and dribbled it on the California Roll sushi we were making, but is there any way to have it be drier?
Hi Wendy, so sorry I’m just now replying. We got way behind on comments with our new baby! You could try skipping the lemon juice. But it can also be the amount you froze. If you will just want a little at a time, try freezing it in ice cube trays instead. I usually stir up whatever I thaw before using it, but using just a small amount from the bag can lead to any liquid thawing first.
Very cool. I will do this from now on. I thought it would work doing it like this but now you have confirmed it. Thank you very much. 🙂
What have you found to be the best way to thaw the avocado when you want to eat it?
This is amazing! But do you have thawing tips?
I have a wonderful avocado recipe that I have made for my Dining For Women Cause;
It’s a cold soup that’s Avocado & Tequila soup
Will you please forward this recipe. sounds wonderful.
Recipe Please. that sounds wonderful.
please send recipe
Have you tried raw chocolate mousse made with mashed avacado?
Yes! Actually I make a smoothy with it. YUM!!!!!
Would you share recipe
I have and it is delicious. No one knows it is from avocado until you tell them!
Never knew you could freeze avocados. I’ve got to try this! (Found you via Pinterest.)
What’s the best way to use frozen avocado when it’s in a big bag like that? Just cut off a chunk?
When you put it in the bag, use a pencil and press indents on the package. once it is frozen the indents will provide a spot to break off certain amounts.
What a great idea! I’ve let too many avocados go bad. It would be easy enough to do just one avocado with the lemon juice in a sandwich bag to portion it out and freeze it. Love it! Thanks for the tip.
How well do they unfreeze? (consistency, look etc) In what ways do you use it after you have frozen it?
for guac, sandwich spreads, or salt and pepper and yum!
I would suggest either sandwich or quart bags for more user friendly portions.
Chocolate. Avocado. Mousse. You’ll never look at avocado’s the same way again… http://sogoodandtasty.blogspot.com/2010/02/chocolate-avocado-mousse.html
Question? How do you unfreeze it? I don’t like warm avocado
Would lime work as well as lemon? (I prefer the flavor of lime over lemon plus it would work well if it’s being used for guacamole). Thanks for sharing this tip.
Lime juice works just as well. I prefer it. We lived in Peru, SA 30 years and seldom had lemons.
This seems to me like a frozen guacamole!!!
just add onion.
I’m wondering if you could initially freeze them in an ice cube tray, then once hardened transfer them to a freezer bag. That way you’d only have to thaw out what your intend to consume
I really like your idea about freezing them in ice cube tray…
Have you tried it yet?
I look forward to your reply!
Bob
How do you recommend thawing them for the best results? I’m afraid they’ll be brown and pithy.
Great Idea!
Question? How do you prefer to de-frost what you scoop from the bag? Do you let it sit until soft again? Does it get too watery? Looking forward to trying this. Thank you so much!
Great idea!
I’d always heard that avocados were poisonous to dogs. I guess Rusty either proved that wrong or had an iron stomach.
Dogs are allergic to avocados in large amounts. They contain Persin, which can be harmful. There is a lot of discussion on this though.
http://reboundhounds.blogspot.com/2009/03/avocados-poisonous-for-dogs-or.html
Thank you for this tip! I never would have thought to freeze avocado. I often misjudge how fast/slow they ripen and end up with more ripe avocados than I can eat, so I will definitely be trying this 🙂
I freeze the whole avocado with the skin on, no need for lemon/lime that way. Then defrost before cutting it open when I need to make guacamole, chocolate mouse etc.
me too! :o)
What is the texture and taste like after freezing it whole? Could you still enjoy it in slices? Or does it change it’s color?
love avocado! my mom would mash them add some sugar and milk, she would freeze it or if we wanted to eat it right away serve it with shaved ice. . ohhh sooo good. if you have an icecream maker it’s even better.
When i used to work at quizno’s they had guacamole..it came frozen so we’d always thaw it and just cut a hole in the side of the bad, it never discoloured, except at the tip if it was there for a few days. Just something to consider if you’re worried about discolouring. I love it as a chocolate pudding, you just mix mashed avocado with choco powder and chill it. It’s also good in smoothies.
I’ve never came to the idea of freezing avocados… but why not?!? It’s simply a fantastic idea!
Avocados are poisonous to dogs.
Feeding them avocados can be fatal!!!!!
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/people-foods.aspx
I also grew up with a HUGE avo tree beside our house in South Africa. It bore the large variety about three times the size of the Hass kind that is so popular her in Canada.
We used to give boxes away when in season since it bore sooo much fruit.
Never thought about freezing it- great idea!!
I love to combine it in salsa with mango.
I have 10 avocados on the way in the mail from my aunt in Florida. Thanks so much for this!
Mashed Avocado is a good baby food. I served my daughter mashed avocados plain or mixed with bananas. Far better then processed baby food
I add them to sour cream for our tacos! “Hides” them from the kids 😉
What a great idea!
I like my mashed avo with salt and pepper on buttered toast!
I haven’t tried that Debbie but sounds simple and delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I like making my mashed avacado dip.
you need 4 ingredients and all you do is layer them in this order
2 Avocados(mashed)
3 Spring onions (chopped Finely)
2.5 cups of cheese
1 200mil tub of sour cream
Put mashed avocado on the plate then sprinkle chopped spring onions on top then grated cheese then spread sour cream to finish.
Its so easy and yummy!!
In Australia we would also add re-fried beans & salsa & we call it Mexican layer dip. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm
Avacado ice cream is wonderful. Google a recipe.
Chocolate brownies with avocado frosting. They are amazing and very healthy (for brownies). http://glutenfreevegan.me/?p=465
I think this is great idea, but I would rather freeze it in a icecube mold and than transfer it to bigger bag, This way if you just need a bit you can get only one cube if you need a lot you defrost entire bag full of cubes. (I do that with my basil pesto)
This all sounds great. I love the idea of not wasting my avocado. Just one question I haven’t seen answered here. What effect does freezing avocado have on its “nutritional benefit potency”? Thanks.
You may love this pie. I did. It tastes like key lime pie in many ways.
http://www.avocadosfrommexico.com/recipe-Sweet-Avocado-Pie.html
Avocado in berry smoothies…surprisingly creamy & delicious!!!!
or just mashed with frozen berries – soooo tasty you wouldn’t believe it!!
p.s thanks for the info – love your site!!
I drink it as juice it is lovely ,two fruits with 1 1/2 glass of milk 4 honey spoons ,crushed ice and mix it all,hmmmmmmm lovely.
thx for the tip.
You are wonderful now I can freeze as much as I can from my avocado tree. Tks
Ahhhh, slightly jealous of your avocado tree. I really miss having one. Glad I could help!
What if you don’t have lemon or lime at hand. Would it still work to freeze it only smashed?
The citrus helps keep it from browning (like putting lemon juice on cut apples), but so does reducing surface area exposure, so you could probably either put it in a bag with all the air squeezed out, or in a container with saran wrap pressed on the surface to keep it from all turning brown.
This is such a great idea! I never thought about freezing avocado before. I also buy avocados 10 at a time, and now I know I can stock up and freeze them for those times of the year when they are expensive.
Thanks!
You’re so welcome!
I mash my avocados and put them in 4-oz jelly jars before putting them in the freezer. Then, once frozen, I pry the avocado out of the jar and place the still-frozen avocado “cubes” in a zip-loc freezer bag. Then I have perfectly-portioned, individual avocados I can grab as-needed.
That’s a great idea Chena!
My favorite way to eat mashed avocado is to make guacamole and serve it over black beans and brown rice like a naked-buritto. A little salsa is also a great addition. Yummy!
One of my son’s favorite ways to use guacamole is in his “green eggs” recipe – he boils some eggs, slices them and removes the yolk, then scoops homemade guacamole in the hole – deviled egg style! (you can also mix the yolk right into the guacamole, if you like.)
I’ve actually never had guacamole with eggs, I’ll have to try this!
I’ve actually never had guacamole with eggs. That sounds really good!
I put them in my Omelets all the time, it’s quiet wonderful.
have friend with with several trees & would would appreciate any type of recepe for advos. to hpwestlake1@bigpond.com
harry australia.
Found this recipe via Pinterest. As a novice to avocado I am interested in learning anything I can to use this as a replacement in recipes. I thought freezing them would be good so I could use them each time a recipe came up.
That being said, I must tell you I skipped the step to mash them. I just scooped out, added lemon juice and started the mixer. I was only on a medium-low speed and had avocado flying everywhere! As I was stooping to pick a piece off the floor another piece came out and slapped me on the side of my face! I had a facial while I was mixing the avocado! Too funny.
Thank you for this post. I think this will help me on my journey with avocado. Next time I will mash before I start the mixer!
Hahaha! Love your sense of humor Patti! People pay good money for avocado facials right? Glad you’re discovering the joy of avocado. You might like my fresh avocado tomato salsa recipe. We have been eating it constantly this month. Thanks for the comment and I look forward to hearing more from you in the future.
Love avocados I like to just put a little EVOO a little garlic pwdr, salt, and Alessi Italian seasoning for a quick snack instead of grabbing junk food. Thanks for the tip
I made WAY too much guacamole this weekend for a party, and I was so sad about losing my beautiful avocados….until I remembered seeing this article! I’m so excited they won’t go to waste! Thanks for sharing 😀
When buying avocados look at the top. If the little nub where it’s attached to the tree is missing don’t buy it. Those almost always have started going bad. I learned this a few years ago and haven’t had to cut off the top ever since.
When I was a kid we used to mash avocados and add a little mayo and some salt and spread on a slice of bread then put in the oven and broil just until the avo was warm and slightly browned. Yummy. We also had exchange students from Mexico tell us to put the pit back in the guacamole and it wouldn’t turn brown. Well, it worked a little bit, but putting plastic wrap right down on it so air couldn’t get to it seemed to work better. Wondering, since the pit is supposed to help keep the avocado from turning black, what would happen if you simply peeled the avocado whole, made a few slices in it to help remove it from the pit when thawed, then wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap and froze it pit and all. Would the frozen pit cause any change in the flavor after thawing? Just curious if anyone has tried this.
I eat it on Toast with cracked pepper, yum!
Avocado + strawberries frozen; in the blender. OOOOOOOOh so good.
Oh Amy, I am literally going to go try that right now! Thanks so much for the tip, and I look forward to hearing more from you in the future.
All week, as part of my breakfast, I mashed a boiled egg (pre-boiled enough for the week stored in the fridge in a container of water so is easy to peel – the egg that is) along with 1/4 avocado also mashed, even though I love the flavour of avocado alone, I HAVE to add a good shake of mild curry powder! Yum! And about 1/8 tsp of unrefined extra virgin coconut oil! Double yum! Why only 1/4? Because I love avocado so much I have to have it also as my dessert-treat after lunch & after supper – & maybe along with a snack or 2 between those meals too! But the way I said – avocado mashed with egg with mild curry powder – the best!
Love avocado and boiled eggs, and the curry powder tip is great. Thanks Julie-Anne! Hope to hear more great tips from you 🙂
trying this one!
1. Mashed avocado, mixed with different herbs and/or spices (depending on the sandwich) as a substitute for mayo as a sandwich spread.
2. Also mix mashed avocado with ginger and add it to stir fry (at the end). When it blends with whatever liquid is in th stir fry, it’s out of this world!
3. It’s also great in smoothies.
4. And it’s wonderful as a relpacement for the butter or shortening when making cookies. It’s amazing all the veggies I get into my little boys cookies and brownies – spinach, avocado, carrots (cooked and in the blender, canned pumpkin (I use pure, not the pie mix)!!
I absolutely love avocados and they generally don’t have the chance to go bad…now they will never have that opportunity. I eat them like apples. I can hardly wait for the next sale. I will fill my freezer!
I use it as a sandwich spread instead of mayo or mustard.
Once the avocado is mashed can you just put a blob on a cookie sheet, freeze, then put the blobs in the Ziploc & get rid of the air? would that brief time exposed to the air cause discoloration? I do that with my berries–freeze quickly on a tray & then put in the bag & all are loose to use only a portion at a time.
can you slice them and freeze them with lemon juice on them.
Mahalo for the great tip on freezing and not wasting any wonderful avocados! Love them mashed on a warm toasted English muffin. When I was a little girl my Kupuna (grandmother) gather the avocados from the tree just outside the back porch. She would mash the avocado with just enough sugar than spread it on the softest white bread for all my little cousin and me. This is how I learned what an avocado was. Yummie!!!
I love them with german liverwurst
I love, love avocado!! will be trying all these suggestions!
Thanks!
Could it work to freeze sliced avocado? I like sliced avocados in my salads and sandwiches.
I just cut mine in half, remove the pit, and place them in food saver bags, or ziploc vacuum bags. I take what I need out and it seems to only take about an hour to defrost. I’ve never timed it, but after being frozen, they scoop out very easily.
Great ideas. We had fuerte avocados in our yard in CA and thoroughly enjoyed having all we wanted for years. Retired in non-avocado country and they are expensive and not nearly as large and nice. I always like to mash them on lightly buttered or plain toast with salt and pepper sprinkled over top.
This is a great idea!
big thanks
Great idea… does the lemon make them taste like citrus?? i love them in smoothies and dont know if it will affect the taste… thanks for the idea
Love Avacado, I cut them in half remove the pit and use italian dressing on them then just eat with a spoon, Great! I also use the pits and grow avacodos, Just put toothpicks on each side place over a small glass of water. The pit should rest in the water………….soon you will have a plant growing..
Avocado, green onion, sour cream, scoup of salsa and fresh shrimp. Serve on endive or lettuce cups.
That sounds fantastic Jean!
why can’t you leave in large chunks instead of mashing?
Awesome…my family eat Avo’s every day. I have a way to ripen a very hard avo in 2-3 days, and the come out with absolutely no bruise marks, they are perfect. I place about 4 at a time in a brown bag and add an apple, close the bag and put it in the cupboard. Definetly going to start freezing them….thank you 🙂
You can use Fruit Fresh found in canning supplies it is really good for lots of fresh fruit and also use lime or lemon
You don’t have to mash them. Just cutting them in half, removing the pits, squirt a little lime juice and put in freezer bags (I vacuum seal). Lemon juice can be substituted. Never know the difference.
This is what I was wondering about. I make an avocado and tomato salad almost daily and was wondering if I could leave them whole without peeling in a vacuum sealed bag. Cutting in half would definitely work. Thanks for the tip!
This I must test, I love avocado!
One receoip I can share from “cold” Sweden is my favorite avocado soup
serves 2
3 dl boiling water
1 cube of broth that you like, I use an organic vegetarian brand
2 avocado
Place the avocado, the water and broth in a blender, mix.
Enjoy 🙂
I spread it on toast. So yummy!
Make toast, spread avocado on one side, put Miracle Whip on the other side, add 3 slices of cooked bacon and a slice of big boy tomato. Viola! BAT (Bacon, avocado & Tomato sandwich)! Yummy!!!!
Thank you, it was very tasty. But next time i’ll try it without the viola — too hard to clean the mayo off the strings!
Thank you Diana!! Great article, I make avocado face mask, sliced on ricecakes, mix in salads, and eat it straight with a little salt and pepper;)
When I make pesto I keep it in a jar mash it down level and cover it with Olive oil to keep it fresh. I bet that would work for avocados as well.
Great ideas. Don’t discard pits though. Stick toothpicks into them and set the picks atop a glass filled with water so that just the bottom is in the water. Place on a sunny window sill. Soon you will see the bottom of the pit crack and a root come out. Later it will crack at the top and a plant will sprout up. Eventually, with little work, it will be an avocado tree even though it will likely not bear fruit. Something fun to do with the kids.
I slice the avocado into individual pieces, place on a cookie tray, brush on lemon (or lime) juice and freeze as you would fruit. Once the pieces are frozen I drop them into a freezer bag and pull out as many pieces as I need at a time. I have also found cold avocado soups freeze well and make great dips later in the year.
Good idea! Thanks!
Yes,you can freeze them in ice cube trats, or little individual Tupperware bowls. My daughter makes my grandson avacado in ice cube trays
I freeze avocado halves. Cut your ripe avocados in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap. Place in freezer ziploc bags. When ready to use, thaw at room temp for 1 hour.
If you like smaller portions, freeze them in smaller bags. Or only fill to half in thickness – that makes it easier to break off only as much as you want. You can also use the handle of a wooden spoon to press a tic-tack-toe pattern into a filled bag – “scoring” break-lines in before you freeze. As with anything you freeze, flat and thin thaws faster than fat lumps or icecubes. I don’t mind putting my cubes of chicken broth in the microwave to speed them along, but I would mind with avocado.
I was wondering if anyone had ever tried to can avacodos… like you can other fruits and vegetables? If so, what was the result? Thanks 🙂
Avocados are a low acid food and would need to be pressure canned in order to be safe to eat. I expect the taste/texture/nutrition would be badly compromised by the high temperatures and long processing time. They’re also too rich in oil to be a good candidate for dehydrating. I believe freezing is really the only realistic choice for preserving extra avocado at home.
Make salad dressing…yummmy
One of my favorite ways to eat avocados is to peel then, remove pit, squeeze lime juice over the halves and top generously with chili powder. Awesome !
I take hard boiled eggs with avacado & mash then put them on toast. This & in a salad are the only ways I have ever tried them. This is a new food for me. 😉
Try mushing ripe avocado with softened cream Philadelphia cheese. Great dip for chips and you will swear you put garlic salt and powdered in it. You may wan to add a shake or two of hot sauce.
I like to use muffin pans (mini and regular) to freeze. If you have silicone muffin pans even easier to remove. Most people I know don’t have ice cube trays but they do have muffin pans. You can do a combo and then have different sizes available.
When I freeze thinks I use snack bags & then put in quart freeze bags then u dont have 2 unfreeze awhole quart size bag.
As a dutch kid growing up in Brazil, we had avocados falling from the trees. My Mom used to put avocado in the blender, add a little lemon juice and a little sugar and a little milk, and blend it until fluffy and of pudding consistency. We would eat it in little bowls and eat with tiny Dutch teaspoons, and savor every bite. My father grew up in Indonesia, so maybe it’s traditional there. My Mom said when we were babies and if we were sick, she would give us this avocado pudding. It’s a superfood.
chop some onion and put in mixture. When saving half an avocado, I put a slice of onion over the half and it keeps it fresh for days in the refrig.
Loved reading all the comments! Will definitely be freezing avocados now and buying in bulk! I eat avocados daily either in smoothies or a salad. A great smoothie recipe is half a large avocado, one banana and about a half a cup of fresh cut pineapple. I also use a little bit of almond milk to thin it out. So yummy!
I’m going to try this, we moved to Maine last year and avocados & jalapenos are so pricey here. Receive 2 boxes from dear friends in Texas today, one had 25 yes 25 avocados the other had 71/2 pounds of jalapenos. They both said they were laughing so hard when they boxed them up to send them to us. Now I know I can save what we can’t eat before they go bad. Thanks for the tips.
You’re so welcome Michelle. I would be so excited to get a box of 25 avocados!!!
Diana, we were doing the happy dance lol
Hi, can anyone help me please. In South Africa the avo season is coming to an end but I need fresh avo for a big birthday party for my sushi. You all only talk about freezing avo pulp. Can I freeze the halved or even a whole avo? Should it be ripe or still very firm when I freeze it? How would I defrost it? Please help♥
Unfortunately Hildegard, whole or halved avocados just don’t seem to freeze well. Once you thaw them, the texture is quite different so it would probably only work for things that you want pureed avocado in, in which case it would most likely be easier to freeze them already mashed.
Thank you for this tip, I LOVE avocados, here they are 2-3/5$. Did you know avocado is one of the foods that can be poison for your dog? (its like other stuff I guess, some dogs react, some don’t. <3
Hi Cynthia, so sorry I’m just now replying. We got way behind on comments with our new baby! Yes in large quantities it can be dangerous, especially for small dogs. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I use it in chocolate cupcakes and cakes to replace the fat.
Hi Barbara, so sorry I’m just now replying. We got way behind on comments with our new baby! What a great idea. I have yet to try avocado in baking recipes.
Don’t discard that beautiful pit! Put 3 or more toothpicks in it to (hold it in a glass of warm water) and fill it with warm water. Change your water each week & be patient. Soon a root will begin to grow on the bottom of the pit (the end that’s in water) Keep changing your water each week & again…be patient. The pit will crack towards the top (the part out of water) & a little green pod will begin to poke its head out of the pit. It may take weeks, keep it in the sun, but it will grow into a great plant if you love it & keep it in the sunshine. I have 2 going now. One has a great root going & since I just started the other one today, it will take a while to get going.
The pointy end is the top and the flat end is the bottom that goes into the water. Good luck!!
Hi Judy, so sorry I’m just now replying. We got way behind on comments with our new baby! That’s a great tip. I’ve heard they can get really big and beautiful. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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you really don’t have to mash the avocado, just remove pit and scoop whole insides out in 1 piece, drop it in a ziploc bag and freeze. No lemon needed either. I put 4 avocados in 1 quart bag, get out what I need.
I just found your site and really like it. Please give tip about how to find best avocados at store. Glad I found your site!!!!!!
Hi Carol. The avocado should be firm but not hard. If you pull the little stem back, it should be bright green under it, not brown. Hope that helps!
This is a GREAT idea!
This is such a good idea! I hate having to throw out food when it goes bad. Thanks for sharing!
I’m fairly new to avocados. One of my most favorite ways is fried egg (yolk still runny) over avocado slices. Another winner is chopped up hard boiled egg, tuna, and mashed avocado; cilantro mixed in is nice. I often eat this on a romaine leaf. Love the variety of suggestions and eager to try several of them. As a previous commenter pointed out, it will take longer for a frozen half avocado to thaw than a thin, flat piece. The tip to “score” the flattened mash before freezing is brilliant. (I was wondering how to know you were breaking off a 1-tenth serving size.)