3 Fruits You Can Ripen Faster With A Simple Trick
So, you’re ready for your backyard BBQ today, you have everything you need, the mood is set, and family has arrived. As you go to make the BBQ staple, guacamole (it’s the best), you realize the avocados you bought two days ago in preparation aren’t ripe! That won’t do! As a cook, it’s one of the worst feelings to encounter, a food item you bought days ago that hasn’t ripened in time for your meal. On top of that, it’s a waste of money because you likely have to go buy it again! Avocados are notorious for this.
Thanks to science, there are a few things you can do to make certain foods ripen faster. All it takes is a little pre-planning and you’ll be set! Here are the top 5 foods that I find often need a little nudge on their journey to being ripe and ready to eat.
Avocados And The Paper Bag
Avocados are one of those foods that just can’t be consumed unless it’s perfectly ripe. If they’re too hard, you can’t make anything with them. If they’re too soft, they have that metallic overdone taste.
So, how do you do it? Easy! Just grab a Paper bag, you know, the kind you packed lunch in as a kid, and paper bag it. Put it in there and let nature work its magic. SImply put, fruit has a gas it emits as it ripens, which helps it ripen faster. Exactly why fruit in a basket ripens faster than a single fruit on the counter. The gases are working together. Since the bag traps this gas, the Avocados (and any fruit for that matter) will ripen almost twice as fast. In fact, there are certain fruits (Bananas & Apples) that emit more of this gas than others, so if you put those in the bag with the Avocado, it’ll speed up the process even further!
Peaches And The Cotton Cloth
Peaches are another one of those fruits that need to be ripe to perfection, and when they are, your tastebuds have never been happier. I LOVE peaches, so it’s common to see the fruity goodness wrapped in a cotton cloth on my kitchen counter.
Just lay out your soft cloth of choice, place the fruit on it, and either fold up the edges or cover with another cloth. Check back that evening and the next day until the fruit is ripe to your choosing. This method works for any soft skinned fruit.
Bananas and The Bowl of Rice
Bananas are one of those fruits we usually let ripen on their own, but when you’re in a pinch or are craving some banana bread, this trick is for you. It’s easy, just fill a bowl with uncooked rice and bury as many bananas as the bowl will fit. Either brown or white rice will work, just as long as it’s uncooked and covering the fruit on all sides. You can purchase huge bags of rice from Costco, and reuse it as much as you want, so this is one of my favorite natural and affordable ways to ripen hard skinned fruit faster.
The beautiful thing about these ripening tricks is you can use them on pretty much any fruit. Just be careful with the soft skin fruits, and only use the Paper Bag and Cotton Cloth tricks for them.
I love these methods for a few reasons. First, they ensure you have ripe fruits and veggies every time. Second, they help you worry less about buying perfectly ripe fruits every time you shop. Knowing you can make them ripen faster puts you at ease when every avocado, banana, or peach is not quite where it needs to be when shopping.
Sign up for a free trial & my weekly newsletter for more tips and tricks like this!
Sign Up —-> HERE