Avocado
I Learned the Hard Way That You Can't Actually Freeze Avocados
If you've ever wondered, "Can you freeze avocados?" please read this cautionary tale.
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62 Comments
Allie.cat
April 16, 2022
Try it without cutting them in half first and then defrost them after freezing :) the oxidation going to ruin the avocado no matter how you try to seal it
Chris H.
February 17, 2022
I make what is called Taco Shop Guacamole and freeze it in a silicon ice cube tray. Freezes and thaws out perfectly. I've been doing this for years with great success. The beauty of the cubes is you can easily pull out just a handful for Taco Night and leave the remainder for another meals
Gurleygirl
December 2, 2021
Even though I froze them ripe, thawed them in the refrigerator and they looked good; the flavor was different!
cookinalong
August 8, 2021
In literally seconds of googling, I found this https://californiaavocado.com/how-to/how-to-freeze-california-avocados/. In less time than it took the writer to pen this inaccurate post, not to mention the wasted avocados, she could have done a bit of research. I'll save you a bit of time following the URL. According to the California Avocado Commission, you most definitely CAN freeze avocados. The website gives clear, complete info about how to do so. I expect better from the NYT. Food52 isn't some one person amateur blog.
erunuevo
May 8, 2021
I'm gonna stop you right there..... frozen avocado has saved me MANY times! When all I can find are hard avocados and I need them asap ( I like them as a spread/dip so....mushy) I freeze them whole. When they thaw the cell walls will have been pierced by ice crystals and they will be soft. Is it perfectly green? Maybe not. I don't really notice. It tastes good.
Michelle A.
May 5, 2021
I freeze avocados all the time - I do cut them into chunks and add lime juice. They’re ok on toast or for guac, but in all honesty if I have a good fresh one, that’s my preference. I mostly use my frozen avos for my morning green smoothie though, it’s absolutely perfect for that.
Angela H.
May 28, 2020
I just finished a previously frozen avocado on a bagel and it was perfect!
I think it depends on the state your avocado was in when you freeze it, as I've seen too many rotten avocados when i cut them fresh. Obviously those ones, would freeze as rotten.
If you happen on a good bunch, then i recommend freezing a few whole. Let it defrost for an hr before consuming and it'll be perfect!
I think it depends on the state your avocado was in when you freeze it, as I've seen too many rotten avocados when i cut them fresh. Obviously those ones, would freeze as rotten.
If you happen on a good bunch, then i recommend freezing a few whole. Let it defrost for an hr before consuming and it'll be perfect!
Corbbin G.
September 13, 2020
You're just teasing us here at this point. What is your secret? How ripe must an avocado be? What other ingredients did you add?
Jana E.
February 4, 2020
I don't know that I'd freeze an avocado and try to use it in something like guac or on toast, but I freeze mine for sauces and they blend in great - same creamy effect.
Naschol
June 10, 2019
I just toss them in my freezer whole and they thaw beautifully for guac. I have done this in both my regular and my frost-free freezer and they both work.
Jin J.
April 3, 2019
I have tried freezing the avocado in a laboratory freezer at-25 degree Celsius. And it can out just as it went in. Thawing took over 1 hours in 74 degree Fahrenheit and the tasted did not change at all. In fact, I did not used any lemon juice or citric acid.
I think you can do the same with dry ice at home. Or if you have access to liquid nitrogen perhaps that will be better.
I think you can do the same with dry ice at home. Or if you have access to liquid nitrogen perhaps that will be better.
Lauren N.
May 10, 2019
Yes, I think this is the way to do it as well. I'm going to attempt putting mine in the -80 and see how that goes.
Monica Y.
March 26, 2019
The reason you failed and others haven't is because of the time it takes for your particular freezer to freeze food. All freezing isn't the same. If a food's temperature is lowered slowly so that eventually it becomes frozen, this creates larger ice crystals and those particles distort the texture of your food. It's more noticeable in something soft like an avocado. If the food is flash frozen (frozen very quickly like the people in that movie Day After Tomorrow), the ice crystals are small enough to not distort the texture of the food. That's why commercially frozen food is always better than the stuff you freeze in your refrigerator's freezer. If you have a deep freezer, try putting them in the bottom of that. If your freezer has a power freeze option, try using that to speed up the time it takes to freeze the avocados. I haven't tried freezing them myself, but I know a little about commercially frozen food.
Lura
July 18, 2018
Did anyone experience bowel problems after eating a thawed avocado in a smoothie?
Taylor M.
July 17, 2018
You went wrong with a couple different things; not using lemon juice, not taking out the seed and not peeling the avocado. I'm not sure why but in my experience the avocado peel and seed just make for a disaster is the freezer. Peel and seed the avocado and then brush with a little lemon juice, make sure there is ZERO air in the bag when freezing (I crumple up some plastic wrap and put it in the divets where the seed was and it works great) and you'll do great! I use frozen avocados in guacamole and other recipes, I do not like avocado plain so I have never tried a frozen avocado plain before, so I can not tell you how it tastes but in the recipes I taste little to no difference. Hope this helps!
Smaug
February 4, 2020
The pit may act as a heat sink and slow the freezing of the fruit considerably, particularly near the pit (see Monica Y's comments above). At $2 a pop, I don't have avocados to experiment with.
susanrtw
January 14, 2018
I have had success mashing the avocados, putting them in a plastic tupperware type container and squeezing some lemon or lime on top, then a layer of plastic wrap touching the pulp, before the top of the container. When defrosted they do make great guacamole..
Terry M.
January 12, 2018
I never believed the "freeze avocados" hype. However, what I have discovered is that once they are ripe--not over-ripe, but perfectly ripe--you can put them in the refrigerator, whole and uncut, and they will keep in very good condition for days and days and days. Eventually they go the way of all uneaten avocados but I have been extremely surprised and pleased with how long they keep in the fridge.
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