So, You Cut an Unripe Avocado.

It’s 7am and you’re feeling smug about waking up in time to make breakfast. What is your favorite dish? Avocado toast. But then disaster. You cut open an alligator pear and discover that it is clearly immature and stretchy. What to do? What to do ? In addition to looking for another avocado, you have to figure out what to do with the unripe ones. The bad news is that you can’t speed up the ripening of an avocado , but all is not lost. Your sliced ​​avocado will still be ripe, you just need to wrap it in plastic.

According to Cook’s Illustrated , an avocado will ripen whether it’s whole or cut in half, as the enzymes responsible for the ripening process are still there doing their enzymatic function:

Much of this process is due to the enzymatic activity that softens the flesh of the avocado. Paul Adams , our Senior Research Editor, explained that enzymes found in fruit, such as pectin methylesterase, modify pectin in cell walls, weakening cell structure and making avocados more tender.

However, you must wrap it. This keeps the avocado from drying out, traps the ethylene gas that is released, and prevents the creamy green flesh from oxidizing and turning an unattractive brown color.

After covering the avocado, you can put it on the table so that it continues to ripen at room temperature, or you can put it in the refrigerator. The countertop approach is much faster—you’re looking at a maximum of four days—but a refrigerator that slows maturation to at least a week is safer. (Food safety experts recommend storing all cut fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth.)

If you don’t know how to check the ripeness of an avocado to get started, Cook’s Illustrated recommends the old stem trick. If it comes off easily, revealing the green flesh underneath, it’s ready to go.