How to Ripen an Avocado in Just 30 Minutes

Picking out avocados is a whole thing. I mean, timing is everything with these guys for the perfect taste, depending on when you need them.

Maybe you're buying them to make your world-famous guacamole, or you like slicing them up on a salad. Cutting them in half and eating them with a sprinkle of salt or pepper straight out of their skin is simply delicious, or layering them eggs Benedict-style on an English muffin is super scrumptious, too.

I personally love using them like little bowls and putting a nice scoop of homemade chicken salad in each avocado half.

Anyway, the one thing these methods all have in common is that they require ripe avocados.

Sometimes, it's easy to find ripe ones, although you need to use them within a day or so for the best quality. Other times, you want to buy a bunch of avocados at a time, so you're looking for varying ripeness. Or you don't want ripe ones because you don't plan to use them for a few days.

Whatever the reason, it's a thing, so here's how to ripen an avocado in 30 minutes.

1. Preheat your oven to 200°F.
2. Wrap your avocados in aluminum foil and put them on a baking sheet.
3. Bake your avocados for around 10 minutes.
4. Take the foil off and let them sit for around 20 minutes at room temperature, or speed up the process a bit and put them in your fridge.

According to the Simple Most website, here's why this works: Avocados release ethylene gas, which slowly ripens them. The aluminum foil keeps the gas from leaving the avocado, thus expediting the ripening process.

READ ON: 14 Fruits That Not Only Taste Better but Are Healthier in the Winter

According to Reader's Digest, if you need a quicker process, try the microwave, which "cooks" everything faster.

You can cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and microwave it for two minutes. Then, you can either run the wrapped avocado under cold water for a few minutes or place it in a bowl of chilled water.