How to Tell If an Avocado Is Ripe

Isn’t it disappointing to cut into an avocado you’ve been nurturing to perfect ripeness only to find a brown, slimy mess inside? Fortunately, there’s a simple, foolproof way to tell whether you will discover a creamy, luscious green interior. The easiest way to tell if an avocado is ripe is to check the area underneath the stem.

This tip comes from Erica, a Seattle-based food and gardening blogger. Her website Northwest Edible Life is a popular food and urban homesteading hub and worth checking out for helpful information on growing, cooking, and preserving food.

To make sure you’re taking home an avocado that’s perfectly green and creamy on the inside, and free from ugly brown spots, the key is checking under the stem. This part of the avocado holds a sneak peak for what’s going on under the skin.

Here’s how to check if your avocado is perfectly ripe for eating:

1. Peel back the small stem or cap at the top of the avocado.
2. If it comes away easily and you find green underneath, you’ve got a good avocado that’s ripe and ready to eat. That’s the kind of fruit you want to take home with you.

On the other hand, if you pull back the stem and find brown underneath, the avocado is overripe, and you’re likely to find brown spots inside the fruit. And, if the stem doesn’t come off, the fruit is not yet ripe enough to eat. If that’s the case, don’t fret — there are still plenty of delicious ways to use underripe avocados.