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How Long Do Avocados Last Before They Go Bad?

You stocked up on avocados a few weeks ago and wonder if you still could use them. How long do avocados last before they’ll go bad?

Are you doubting because they don’t look that great anymore, are they so-so, or already gone too far? How can you see this exactly? What spoilage signs should you look for?

The thing is, avocados don’t last very long and it’s one of those fruits where you can’t see it very well when it is at its prime or not.

In this article, we will guide you in your struggle for deciding whether to use or discard your avocados. Learn all you need to know about their shelf life, how to store them, and spoilage signs.

Enjoy the read!

What Is An Avocado

Avocado is a fruit that is native to the regions of Central and South America. You can buy it all around the world these days. Because of their appearance, they look like a large berry with a single seed (also called a large pit), some say it isn’t a fruit but it definitely is, according to botanists.

The thing is, the botanists classify it as a fruit, but on USDA, they’re classified as vegetables because of their nutritional aspects and use.

So to conclude, an avocado is a botanical fruit that’s classified as a vegetable because it doesn’t taste sweet.

Avocados can be bought all around the world and are very nutritious, and rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and so on… It can be eaten raw or as an ingredient in other dishes.

There are different avocado cultivars that are grown by mankind, one of the most popular ones is the Hass avocado.

How Long Can Avocados Last

As we’ve said before, whether it’s a vegetable or fruit, they don’t last very long.

We will start with a quick table, just for your convenience.

AvocadosPantryRefrigeratorFreezer
Uncut (whole) and UnripeUp to 1 week (7 days)Up to 10 daysUp to 3 months
Uncut (whole) and RipeUp to 2 daysUp to 5 daysUp to 3 months
Cut and UnripeUp to 2 daysUp to 7 daysUp to 3 months
Cut and Ripewithin the dayUp to 4 daysUp to 3 months
Indicative timetable for how long avocados can last before going bad. Always check for spoilage signs!

We will keep things simple and divide them into 2 types: whole or uncut and cut or in pieces and whether they’re ripe or unripe.

How Long Do Uncut Unripened Avocados Last Unrefrigerated

Whole (uncut) and unripened avocados can last up to 1 week (7 days) in the pantry and a bit longer in the fridge (up to 10 days). It can be a great habit to store your avocados directly in the fridge.

How Long Do Uncut Unripened Avocados Last Refrigerated

Whole (uncut) and unripened avocados can last up to 10 days when stored in the refrigerator. It can be a great habit to store your avocados directly in the fridge when it comes to increasing their shelf life, but it’s actually best to let them sit out for a day or 2 at room temperature before storing them in the fridge. Avocados or other fruits won’t ripen as they’re stored in places with lower temperatures.

How Long Do Uncut Ripened Avocados Last Unrefrigerated

Whole (uncut) and ripened avocados will last up to 2 days when unrefrigerated. It’s best to consume them within the first 2 days as a general rule.

How Long Do Uncut Ripened Avocados Last Refrigerated

Whole (uncut) and ripened avocados will last up to 5 days when stored in the refrigerator. The same advice goes here: try to use them within the first 2 days if possible.

How Long Do Cut Unripened Avocados Last Unrefrigerated

Cut and unripened avocados will spoil faster because they’re more vulnerable because they’re exposed to external threats like heat, air, sunlight, and so on. It’s best to eat them within 2 days or let them sit out for a few days before you cut them. When they’ve been cut, the one and only place you should store them is in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How Long Do Cut Unripened Avocados Last Refrigerated

Avocados that are cut into pieces and ripened can last up to 7 days when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Try to use them within the first 2 days.

How Long Do Cut Ripened Avocados Last Unrefrigerated

Cut and ripened avocados will last up to 4 days when stored in the refrigerator. We answer this question with “in the refrigerator” because we want to stress the importance of storing your avocados in there from the moment they’ve been cut.

How Long Do Cut Ripened Avocados Last Refrigerated

Cut and ripened avocados will last up to 4 days when stored in the refrigerator.

To conclude on the shelf life: remember that you must place everything in the right context and that some brown places aren’t a big deal but won’t look very great or increase your resistance to using them further. That’s why we try to convince you to consume everything within the first 2 days when possible. Don’t let them sit there for a week or longer. There’s always the option of freezing your avocados.

The above periods are indicative and can only be used when the avocados were stored in the right way.

How To Store Avocados

When it comes to storing your avocados, things are really simple.

Avocados have a hard natural shield, like bananas or melons. When the avocados are unripe, you can let them sit out at room temperature (not higher) in the pantry or the cupboard in your kitchen.

How To Store Uncut Avocados

We like to let them sit out on the table for one day and place them in the fridge.

When it comes to storing unripe avocados, you can place them directly in the fridge but they won’t ripen faster because this happens at higher temperatures.

So: for unripe avocados, best not to store them in the fridge for quality reasons, let them ripen first before you store them in the fridge.

Don’t let it sit there at room temperature because it will decay fast and you’ll see it by seeing the brown spots on the flesh. The key is to manage them in a way they won’t become brown.

Things change even further and faster from the moment the avocados have been cut.

How To Store Cut Avocados

Always into an airtight container in the refrigerator, sealed tight. From the moment you cut the avocados, you should.

If you’ve cut an unripe avocado, let them ripen for a day at room temperature but not longer, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Try to consume within 2 days.

Do You Refrigerate Avocados

Should you refrigerate avocados or not? A lot of people will spontaneously say yes to this question but the right answer is: it depends. Are the avocados ripe or not? As we’ve said before, you shouldn’t store unripened avocados in your fridge because they won’t ripen well because of the lower temperatures.

You can perfectly store the riper avocados outside the refrigerator, just know that they will be good for about 2 days and be overripe after this. When you store them in the refrigerator on the right time, they will last up to 5 days.

Luckily, you can judge the avocados you buy in the store or marketplace and make the right decision on this.

Can You Freeze Avocados

Yes, you can always opt for freezing your avocados. They will be good for up to 3 months.

But as always, we say: should you?

We on GoodOrGoneBad say that the freezing capacity isn’t endless and you need to think about what you can freeze and for how long.

Freezing avocados will prolong their shelf life, but also reduce the possibilities of what you can do with them.

Try to do the following when you’re about to freeze your avocados:

  • Divide them into single-serve portions
  • Pack them in 1 or 2 plastic freezer bags (double-bagging them)
  • Label the bags or containers with the correct date and time of freezing.
  • Place the pieces into the freezer

When you’re about to use your frozen avocados, let them thaw and rest in the refrigerator.

Some say you can squeeze your avocados for juice, but that isn’t entirely true. The extraction is more like an oil-based substance and much thicker and less liquid than lemon juice or orange juice. We don’t advise this, if you do this, store them in a bottle and leave some room because it will expand. After thawing, you can use it in a nice smoothie.

Avocado oil is becoming more and more popular as a replacement for certain foods and can be seen as a healthy alternative.

You can make your life easier by buying the right avocados from the start and enjoying them longer. By buying the right ones, you can use them all within the week and avoid spoilage.

Of course, if things are already gone too far, we need to look at the spoilage signs.

How Can You Tell If Avocados Have Gone Bad

You can buy the best avocados at the market or store, so you can get the most out of them. You can do this fairly easily with a quick assessment.

What Avocados Should You Buy At The Store

When buying avocados, you can make it yourself easier and enjoy this great fruit, full a bit longer by using the following tips:

  • Look at the color: do you see some other colors, brown color is relatively normal as they ripen so be warned.
  • No softer spots, your avocados should feel strong.
  • No bruises or cuts or anything like this. Of course, the bruise could be from falling down.

That’s about it. The color should be the same, if not, get some other avocados that look the same. By looking the same, we don’t mean a browner color, that usually means that they’re getting close to being overripe and you should be quick in using them.

Of course, you could try to negotiate and aim for a lower price, but that’s not something we will talk about here.

How To Tell If Your Avocados Have Gone Bad

Detecting spoilage signs of your avocados starts by trusting your senses and developing your senses and intuition.

Use the following guidelines when it comes to avocados and spoilage:

  1. Do your avocados have colored spots? This can indicate whether they’re ripe if they’re brown. You can cut out the brown pieces and proceed. Be aware of mold (darker colors)! When you see mold, discard it immediately without giving it a second thought.
  2. Look and touch the avocados. Do they feel soft? Are they dried out? Then the best is gone and the rest should be discarded.
  3. Do your avocados have a weird smell? If you smell something funny or unpleasant, discard them anyway. A nice smell is an indication of freshness and quality, as they should be.
  4. How is the taste? The last step is the taste. Go and apply the previous steps. Just be honest with yourself, when the avocado doesn’t taste like avocado, I’d discard it.

It is always up to you to decide if you’ll eat or use an avocado that isn’t at its peak anymore. The taste won’t be bad but that doesn’t mean you should’ve eaten it. We on GoodOrGoneBad always say to not take any risks. You can easily buy a new and fresh avocado and avoid the risks that can affect your health and well-being.

Enjoy your avocados!