Aldi is urging shoppers to stop squeezing avocados to check whether they are ripe, warning that the common habit can bruise the fruit before it reaches the plate.
Instead of applying pressure with fingertips, the budget supermarket recommends holding the avocado in the palm of your hand to test for softness, or gently removing the small stalk. If the stalk comes away easily and reveals green flesh underneath, the avocado is ripe and ready to eat.
Sharing the tip, Aldi said: “Resist the urge to squeeze your avocado with your fingertips, as this can bruise the fruit. Instead, gently hold it in the palm of your hand to check for softness, or remove the small stalk. If it comes away easily and reveals green flesh underneath, it's ripe and ready to enjoy.”
Why squeezing causes bruising
Firmly squeezing an avocado is a well-known way to test ripeness, with a slight give under gentle pressure often seen as a sign that the fruit is ready. However, Aldi says this practice can damage the flesh, leading to brown bruising that only becomes visible once the avocado is cut open.
By avoiding pressure, shoppers are less likely to damage the fruit and end up with unsightly marks inside.
How to ripen and store avocados
If the avocado is not yet ripe, Aldi recommends keeping it at room temperature and letting it soften naturally. Once ripened, it can be moved to the fridge, where the cooler temperature slows down the ripening process and extends its shelf life before the flesh begins to brown.
Keeping cut avocados fresh
Leftover avocado does not have to be wasted. Aldi suggests preserving the cut fruit with a simple coating of lemon or lime juice.
Cut avocados are prone to browning because of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, which reacts with oxygen. Lemon juice helps slow this oxidation, keeping the flesh green and fresh.
Aldi added: “Save the other half by leaving the stone in, brushing the exposed flesh with a little lemon or lime juice and storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. This helps slow browning and keeps it tasting its best.”
Surging avocado sales
Aldi said it has sold more than 44 million avocados over the past year and has shared these tips to help shoppers choose the perfect avocado and keep it fresher for longer. The supermarket added that its avocado sales are continuing to grow, with total sales up 5.6% year-on-year, while demand for XL avocados has risen by 25.3%.
Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: “No one wants to cut into an avocado only to find it's bruised or past its best. Getting the timing right can sometimes be tricky, but knowing how to choose, ripen and store avocados properly can make all the difference. By making a few simple changes, shoppers can enjoy better quality avocados, keep them fresher for longer and get the most from every purchase.”
