- Hey, everyone.
In today's video,
I'm gonna show you how to store a cut avocado,
the best method for storing it,
and I'm gonna do that by showing you 12 different ways.
We're gonna try using the avocado peel,
we're gonna try blanching the avocado,
and we're gonna try freezing the avocado.
Okay, so I'm gonna start
just working on the avocado peel version.
So we're also gonna do lemon juice and lime juice, oil,
and also using a slice of onion to store the avocado.
Even though I'm taking the pit out of this one,
we're also gonna be using the pit
and wrapping it in plastic.
Also, vinegar, submerging the avocado in water,
and like any good science experiment,
you need a control method where you don't do anything.
So here's the thing, though.
You have to watch to the end,
because I'm gonna show you how these different methods work.
I'm gonna talk about the science.
One thing to know with all of these avocados,
all of the avocados are about the same size
the same ripeness and firmness,
and with each avocado, they're then stored in a container
and then stored in the fridge.
Okay. So I have my avocado peel.
Put that in the container, close that up,
and I'll move on to the next one.
We're gonna blanche a whole avocado.
We're gonna put it in a pot of boiling water...
that's really important...
and submerge it into a ice bath.
Then our next method is gonna be freezing.
So I'm just gonna take a avocado half,
put it in a container, put the lid on it,
and throw it just right in the freezer.
Easy breezy.
So why am I doing this?
Back in 2012, I released a video on just this,
how to best store a cut avocado.
Real simple one method: store it with a sliced onion.
So I did that video,
and I've had a lot of questions, comments, and everything
since that video has come out,
and I was like, hey, you know what?
Let's explore all the methods.
That's why we're here.
Do you want a sneak peek?
I think you kind of do, right?
You want to see what the avocados are looking like so far.
So I'm gonna go through all the different methods,
but here's a real quick look
at what those avocados look like right after this.
(upbeat music)
Okay. So what do you think, right?
Who do you think is gonna be the winner?
Drop your comment below.
The next thing we're gonna do
is we're gonna actually store the avocado
with some lemon juice
and just lightly brush the top of the avocado
and put that back into a container.
We're just gonna do the same thing.
Take our avocado, brush it with a little bit of lime juice,
put it in a container, put it in the fridge.
So here's the real funny thing about avocados.
It's actually a fruit, and not only is it a fruit,
it's actually a berry.
And it gets weirder than that, right?
So the avocado, get this.
This is gonna blow your mind.
The avocado does not ripen on the tree.
So I'm gonna start on the oil method next.
Same with this one, with the oil one,
just like the lemon juice and just like the lime juice,
we're just gonna take it and brush it lightly
with some oil to coat it.
Once again, just put it in a container, put a lid on it,
put it in the fridge.
So here's the method I did back in 2012, the onion method,
so storing the avocado with a slice of onion.
Now, one of the questions that I got a lot for this part
is I used a red onion because I had a red onion.
So no, it doesn't have to be a red onion.
So I'm using a white onion this time, just for that reason.
Just put it into the container with the onion slice on top.
Pop it in the fridge.
Okay. So now it's science time.
Bam. You got your avocado, right?
You cut into your avocado.
This is what kicks off that reaction
because of two different things:
one, the exposure to oxygen;
but then secondly, there's the phenolic compounds
that are underneath the skin of the avocado.
Those two things in conjunction
are what cause the avocado to brown.
Okay, so before I get into the rest of that science,
I'm gonna start the plastic part next.
We're gonna store it in a container
and put it in the fridge.
Getting back to the science part, these phenolic compounds,
they get turned into what are called quinones
from that exposure to the air.
Those quinones then produce polymers called polyphenols.
It's that polymerization
that shows up as the brown color on the avocado flesh.
So I have...
wrapping up the plastic one here, literally,
and I have a sneak peek
for what the avocados look like day two.
Let's start out with our next method, which is vinegar.
Because I had this question before, red onion, white onion,
you can use apple cider vinegar, whatever you want to use,
any kind of vinegar.
I mean, I wouldn't use balsamic vinegar.
This is the thing.
This happens in other produce, right?
We've seen apples brown.
It's the same kind of thing that's going on,
that oxidization, that causes the fruit to start to brown.
So the reason for this might actually surprise you.
The quinones are actually toxic to bacteria.
So it's kind of a good thing
that that browning is happening.
Okay. You've waited long enough.
Day two. Here it is.
Check it out.
Okay, so we just have a couple of methods left, right?
We're gonna do water and our control method next.
Get our avocado cut open.
So the water method is pretty simple.
Just take a cut avocado.
Put in the container. Fill it with water.
Just like everything else, put a lid on it.
Put it in the fridge.
And then our last method is the easiest method of all.
You just take the half of a avocado, just as it is.
Put it in a container.
This is our control method,
so we're gonna use that to measure every other method by.
Close it on up, and put it in the refrigerator.
Okay, so before I get into actually storing the cut avocados
and who the winner is and who the loser is,
let me tell you about actually storing a whole avocado.
What you need to do is buy an under-ripened avocado.
Remember, I mentioned avocados don't ripen on the tree.
So by an underipened avocado,
put it in a paper bag with an apple or banana,
and closed that paper bag up.
Outside of the fridge, Store it that way
until it reaches the ripeness that you want.
So once it gets to that point,
then you want to put it in the fridge.
If you put it in the fridge once it hits the ripeness
that you want, it'll be perfect for you.
It'll actually keep fresh for about a week or so that way,
maybe even longer.
Now that I mention that, though,
let's take a look at day three.
Let's see how these avocados are doing.
And I have one little fun fact for you
while you're taking a look at that.
So this is for something for you to tweet out,
or share on Facebook,
or just tell a friend at a dinner party
when we can have those again.
The Aztec word for avocado,
which is something I can't pronounce,
so I'm just gonna put it on the screen right here,
so the Aztec word for avocado was also an Aztec euphemism
for testicle.
So there you go. Fun fact, right?
Okay. Here's the fourth day of those avocados.
Take a look.
This science experiment is more than just the visual part
of the avocado, right?
Based on how you store it,
the texture might change a little bit,
so that's important, too.
Does it look pretty,
but does it also still maintain everything that you love
about those creamy, buttery avocados?
So let's give them a try.
Here we go.
(upbeat music)
We have a winner.
Here's the TLDR, right?
So use the blanching method
if you don't mind a little bit of cooking.
Just be sure to blanch it for 10 seconds. Ice it.
Boom. You're good to go.
You could do a whole bunch of avocados at once,
and you'd be set.
Those things are gonna last.
The water method is great for a short storage,
not long-term storage, because the texture is disgusting.
It's just squishy,
not like good, like guacamole squishy, like just soggy,
disgusting, rotted fruit squishy.
The onion method works really well.
You can also use the pit method,
and, hey, you know what?
The control method wasn't that bad, either.
Thank you so much for just sticking through all of this.
I hope this video was fun and educational
and taught you a way to store avocados
that you've cut into that work for you.
If you have something that you want to see,
hey, just let me know.
Drop a comment down below.
I release new videos every single week,
and I'll see you guys next time.
(upbeat music)