Avocado is one of most popular fruits consumed nowadays. Originated from Mexico, this large berry with a single large seed is used everyday in a big variety of recipes. But, in some months of the year, avocados can be hard to find and they do not last long when exposed to room temperature, so in this article, we will tell that you can freeze avocados, but not whole, so you can enjoy this fruit throughout the year.
Avocados are highly recommended if you are trying to eat more vitamins and nutrients. This healthy fruit is rich in potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K, but most importantly, it has monounsaturated fat, which is crucial to those on a diet that cannot consume any other fats.
The main thing about avocado is its versatility, since the flavor can be turned sweet or savory, but still maintaining the smooth texture. Avocado is mostly used and served raw, like in the dip known as Guacamole, salads, milkshakes, ice creams and sliced on top of sandwiches.
Why You Should Freeze Avocados
Want to make sure that you will have avocados ready to be used throughout the year or saw a big avocado sale and bought more than you can consume? Do not worry, you can freeze those avocados to make them last longer, since they only last a couple of days when exposed to oxygen and room temperature before getting spoiled.
But, to avoid avocados from getting that brownish color you will need to cut them in half to freeze or, depending on what you will use them for later, turn them into puree. Freezing avocados whole will make them mushy and brown.
How To Freeze Avocados
Freezing the avocados in halves is the easiest and most recommended way. Simply slice the avocado in half – or you can have it in pieces with the sizes of your preference – remove the entire peel and seed in the middle of it.
Now, to avoid the avocados from getting that brown and unappealing color, you should brush or spray some lemon juice into the halves or pieces, wrap them in plastic or into an airtight compartment and store them into your freezer. The proportion of 2 tablespoons of lemon to which large avocado can do the job very well.
Do not let any part of the avocado unwrapped and in touch with the air or it will get freezer burn and the brown color.
The frozen avocados can last around 6 months. So, add the date you purchased and froze the avocados to have a better control of the time.
Now, if you will use your avocado mashed or in puree form later, you can already freeze them like this – this is the best way to freeze it if you intend to make guacamole or mousse later.
Add the unpeeled avocado into a bow and mash it until it has a puree texture, you can use a food processor or blender to make this easier, but a fork can also do the job, and later mix the puree with the juice of half a lemon.
Place the puree into an airtight bag, or any bag of your preference that will not let the air in and store it in the freezer. It also common to freeze the mashed avocado in ice cube tray, but this method can make your avocado absorb the flavor and smell of the other ingredients in your freezer and by getting in contact with the oxygen they can turn brown.
Avocado puree also lasts around 4 to 6 months, so keep track of the dates.
How To Defrost Avocado
When you are ready to use the frozen avocados just them off the freezer and let it rest overnight in the fridge and they will be good to use. Or, you can take them from the freezer and let it thaw in room temperature for about an hour and they will be ready to be consumed.
If you froze the avocados into puree form you can also put the bags in the fridge overnight or place them in a bow with cold water to make the thaw even faster. Thy will need around 50 minutes to be completely defrosted and ready to be used.
Adding seasonings will be very important to mask any flavor changes due to the freezing process.
Be Careful With The Effects
Although you can freeze avocados and use them later for most of the recipes, the fruit will have some minor changes that you should be aware of.
Most of the health benefits of the avocado will not be affected by the freezing process, but the nutrients and vitamins levels can get a little big reduced. It is nothing to drastic, but it is good to be aware.
Avocados have a creamy and smooth texture and, when frozen, the water content in the fruit will expand and affect the structure of it, making the defrost avocado a little waterier and mushier. They will be better used in avocados and salad dressings rather than consumed on its own.
Conclusion
So, although you can freeze avocados to have them stored at your home for around 6 months, it is not recommended to freeze avocados whole. By freezing them whole the oxygen will make them brown and it will be almost impossible for you to thaw and remove the peel later.
By cutting it in halves or doing a puree and adding lemon, the avocados will preserve its natural green color after being defrosted.
Next time you find an avocado sale that is almost irresistible not to stock them up or if you live in a region that does not have avocados available the entire year, the tips above can be extremely helpful.
And although the nutrients will be slightly affected after the freezing process, it is nothing too worrying and the fruit will be safe to be consumed and added to any recipe of your preference.
