When avocados are in season or on sale, it’s tempting to stock up. However, ripe ones spoil quickly, turning brown and mushy.
To keep ripe avocados longer, you can try freezing them. However, freezing has some negative effects on the fruit’s quality.
When freezing avocados, it’s important to consider the effects on the nutrient content, texture, color, and flavor.
Avocados are rich in nutrients, including healthy fats and fiber, as well as copper, potassium, folate, niacin, and vitamins B6, C, E, and K (1).
Freezing itself does not significantly affect the calorie, fiber, or mineral content of foods, but it may reduce their levels of water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin B6 and folate (2, 3).
No research has analyzed exactly how much nutrient loss occurs from freezing avocados, but you should expect some losses — particularly in cases of extended storage times (2, 4).
Yet, nutrients also decline over time in fresh produce. Thus, the nutrient losses from freezing shouldn’t be a significant concern (2).
When frozen, the fruit’s water expands and disrupts its structure — an effect also seen in other frozen fruits, such as papaya (5).
While you may not want to eat it on its own, you can remedy this unpleasant texture by blending it into your smoothie or puréeing it to make guacamole or salad dressing.
When frozen, they’re often puréed or cut into halves or chunks, thus exposing them to air during both freezing and thawing. Thawed avocado may rapidly brown, so correct preparation and storage methods are essential.
While browning is a natural process and doesn’t necessarily affect the taste, some people may find it unappealing.
To reduce browning, you can brush small amounts of lemon juice or vinegar onto the flesh before freezing. Commercial preparations of frozen avocado usually add ascorbic or citric acid (7).
Additionally, you should make sure to seal the fruit completely. If improperly protected, it may experience freezer burn, which can cause discoloration and drying.
If you use vinegar or lemon juice to prevent browning, they may change the taste slightly. Yet, these flavors won’t be as pronounced if you’re mixing the avocado into a dip like guacamole.
Commercially frozen avocado products may contain additives and other ingredients, so you should check the label if you’re concerned about taste.
Whole avocados tend to become brown and very mushy upon thawing. As such, you should cut, mash, or purée the fruit before freezing.
Frozen avocado has a shelf life of 4–6 months, but commercial products may last even longer due to added preservatives (8).
While the bag has instructions for how to microwave, we found the best way was to let them thaw on the counter. Microwaving the avocado chunks just risks them getting too warm and ruining the texture. They only need to thaw at room temperature for about an hour (we found even less time works too sometimes).
Freezing halves or pieces
Start by cutting a ripe avocado in half, then removing the pit and peeling it. If desired, you can cut it into smaller chunks.
Brush or spray the exposed avocado flesh with a little lemon juice to help prevent browning, then wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in a resealable bag. If you have a vacuum sealer, you can use it instead.
It’s important to leave as little air as possible touching the flesh to prevent browning and freezer burn.
Label and date the avocado if you’d like, then freeze it at 0°F (-18°C).
How to Freeze an Avocado Three Ways
FAQ
Does avocado freeze and thaw well?
Is frozen avocado any good?
How do you flash freeze an avocado?
How long to microwave a frozen avocado?
How do you defrost thawed avocado?
Step 1) Place the bag of frozen avocados at the back of the refrigerator at 40F. Step 2) Allow the avocados at least 6-8 hours to completely defrost. We recommend leaving it overnight for the best results. Step 3) Consume the thawed avocado within 1-2 days for the best quality.
How does one preserve a cut avocado half from one day to the next?
Soak the unused avocado in lemon juice, pack in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. To freeze the avocado, it is recommended to remove the pit and the skin, cut it into small pieces, dip it in lemon juice and freeze it. Lemon is rich in citric acid and ascorbic acid, which have antioxidants, bactericide and fungicide actions, thus it can be used as a chemical inhibitor of enzymatic browning of fruits.
Can You defrost avocado in the microwave?
The microwave method is suitable for people who want to quickly defrost avocados for eating or cooking purposes. Step 1) Remove the frozen avocado from the storage bag and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Step 2) Put the plate in the microwave and thaw it using the defrost setting on your appliance.
How to freeze avocado?
Step 1) Cut the avocado with a clean and dry knife. Carefully remove the pit and cut the fruit into appropriately sized pieces. Step 2) Move the pieces into a freezer-safe plastic bag. Make sure that you squeeze out all the air from the bag and then seal it.