You Won’t Believe How Quickly You Can Ripen An Avocado With This Rice Hack

There’s nothing like running to the grocery store for avocados, only to find that every single is rock hard. Huge sigh. But as your dreams of whipping up a fresh guac, avo toast, or any other delicious avocado recipes begin to fade—take a pause. You can totally ripen that avocado fast with a few simple hacks.

After all not only do avocados basically make every meal better, but they're also stacked with good-for-you nutrition. “They are great to include [in your diet] for their macros (heart-healthy fats and fiber), micros (potassium and Vitamin E), and phytos (lutein, zeaxanthin and carotenoids),” says Leslie Bonci, a registered dietician and nutrition consultant for the California Prune Board. Vitamin E, potassium, lutein, and zeaxanthin, are specifically great for eye health and antioxidants that help boost your immunity.

It also helps that they are an all-day kind of food. Sure you can have an avo toast for breakfast, but you can also have it in your lunch salad, dinner pasta, or really whenever and whatever your belly desires.

So if you want to take advantage of all these bennies ASAP, here's what you should know about how to ripen an avocado fast.

Can you ripen an avocado in the microwave?

Not only is it possible to ripen an avocado in the microwave, but it’s super easy. “Cut it in half, remove the pit, and then wrap each half in plastic wrap that is microwave safe,” Bonci explains. “From there, cook it in the microwave on medium-high heat for 30-second intervals until it reaches your desired level of softness.” Easy peasy!

Can you ripen an avocado in 10 minutes?

If that's all you have to salvage some rock-solid avos, the best way to ripen them up in 10 minutes is to pop them in the microwave, since it'll likely take less than 5 minutes to reach your desired softness.

Can you eat an avocado that’s not ripe?

While you’ll still get the health benefits if the avocado is unripe, Bonci explains that it just won’t taste as creamy. That said, lots of people prefer avocados at different levels of ripeness, which you'll be able to tell from how soft or firm it is. If you’re hoping to use it by the end of the week, you want to choose one that’s on the firmer side. If you’re looking for something to use immediately or the next day, opt for something that’s fairly soft, but still has a bit of give.

How should I store my avocado?

If you’re trying to store an avocado that you don’t need immediately, Bonci suggests keeping them at room temperature and away from sunlight, or in the fridge. So, go ahead and consider them as decor for your fruit bowl on the kitchen counter.

P.S. If you don't need your avocado to ripen today, but also don't want to wait like a week for it to get soft, here are some other tricks you can follow to help speed up the process.