How to CookTips & TechniquesAvocados
I Tried Freezing Avocados: A Horror Story
by Sarah Jampel
• January 10, 2017
• 33 Comments
"But... why?" That's the question most of my colleagues at Food52 asked when they saw me mummifying avocado halves with plastic wrap to prepare them for life eternal in the freezer.
"Because I can!" I shot back. But, as it turns out, I couldn't.
The notion that you might freeze a perfect avocado—preserving its ripeness in a state of suspended animation until the day you're ready to bring it back to life and smash it onto toast—is a fantastical daydream. To put it less dramatically, "the concept of them waiting in the freezer for me completely ripe is appealing," wrote caninechef on the Hotline.
Many of you responded with enthusiasm and encouragement: You said you do it all the time, and with great success! A small miracle. And The Huffington Post corroborates. Their 2012 article on the tip was called "Freezing Avocados: You Should Definitely Do This." I'm afraid that after my (very brief) testing, I have a rebuttal: "Freezing Avocados: I Couldn't Recommend, in Good Conscience, That Anyone Do This."
I followed the instructions on the California Avocado blog: I wrapped some halves tightly with plastic wrap and tucked them into a sealed plastic bag; I mashed a few others and scooped the chunky pulp into another bag. I froze everything completely and then thawed it slowly.
This is what happened:
I admit that I neglected to counter the avocado-browning with lemon juice (though, in past avocado experiments, I haven't found this to be much more effective than doing nothing, anyway). But it was the texture, not the unappetizing superficial hue, that was the real issue, anyway. The avocados were simultaneously mushy, slimy, and spongy. I would not eat them scooped or mashed—maybe blended would be fine but they certainly didn't taste fresh.
I'm not alone in my failure. Yes, you'll find reports of triumphant freezing (though very few pictures of the fruit post-thaw... A coincidence? I think not). But Serious Eats called Trader Joe's frozen avocado halves a fail, citing a writer who deemed the guacamole he made with them "a pasty, gritty, flavorless and textureless blob of shame."
So sure, you can "save" an avocado in the freezer for later... but I'd argue that you're condemning it to certain doom.
If you've had success freezing avocados, tell me: Where did I go wrong? Had I given the avocado sufficient lemon juice, might the results have been different? How could this have solved the texture dilemma?
Got avocado-freezing advice? Tell us in the comments below.
Comments (33)
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14 days ago Marika Vd Berg Salomons
we have 2 avocado trees in our garden (in Brazil) and I had my kids process buckets full of them with sugar and lemon juice, we put that smoothie like mash in portions in freezer bags. Unfortunately after thawing consistency was slimy and the stuff tasted horrible. I had hoped to freeze the in chuncks but after reading the comments think I will put some in the fridge.
5 months ago Eva
i blend mine with lemon or limejuice and freeze in small cups as icecream replacement in summer.nice!
5 months ago Stanley
I found by accident to do this, and it works! : After trying and trying to buy organic just right avocados, I now buy he very hardest regular avocados and put them in the fridge right away. Cold, they do not turn brown, are ripe enough to be perfect when eaten. i can cut half and save the other half with only a skim the top clean up. Lemon would no doubt avoid that. It works perfectly, they're ready and clean clear through. Delicious.
Suzanne
5 months ago Maria
Frozen avocado textured sounded revolting :))) Thanks for averting us from tryingbut!
5 months ago j
I always freeze my avocados . They are never brown when then defrost. You have to take them out of the shell and flash freeze first for about 2 hours and then put them in a freezer bag. Thats it. You take out individuals halves and use what you need. Its terrific. .
5 months ago Alison
I freeze them and blend in smoothies. It adds a creamy texture that's really nice, but I wouldn't ever try to unthaw and use in that format. Ew.
9 months ago Maggie
NO. NO. NO NO NO NO NO.
9 months ago Logan Greenblatt
I froze avocados once, when I stoked up when they were on sale and actually couldn't consume in time :/ To freeze: (1) remove peel and pit (2) slather each half in lime juice (3) thoroughly wrap in plastic wrap and then in freezer zip-lock (4) remove all air and freeze (5) enjoy as avocado spread on toast or even guacamole. The texture changes completely and the taste is a tad different, which is why it is best used as a spread.
9 months ago Bee Kapitan
After purchasing frozen avocado chunks from the grocery store. I was thinking of trying it myself. There is some interesting advice in the comments that I will try as I find this product - although quite good, to be a little on the expensive side. http://www.presidentschoice...
9 months ago Maggie
NO!
9 months ago [email protected]
I freeze avocados and they work just fine. I peel, discard peels and pit, slice, and then freeze in plastic bags. I freeze some in chunks so I can eat them frozen, but still creamy. I thaw in the plastic bag placed in a bowl full of cold water then make guacamole.
9 months ago kantcould
Freeze, no. Refrigerate, yes. I've found that if I let avocados ripen just to the point of good eating then place them in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator, they will maintain that point of ripeness for several days -- even a couple of weeks.. Once they are sliced or peeled, that's it.
9 months ago Natalie Hoffseth
I agree. I also bought a bag of beautiful looking frozen avos and thawed them properly. To my dismay, they were a waxy, flavorless, mushy blob. In the trash can they went!
9 months ago Jose Joey Baking
Yap. This is how my frozen avocados turned out. But since I was just going to use them for smoothies, it was ok for me.
9 months ago Nancy
I freeze avocados and bananas all the time. I bring them home from the store and stick them in the freezer. That's it. Just as they are, whole and unpeeled. I do buy all of my bananas while still green, if that makes a difference, but they both get frozen as is and there's never been a problem.
9 months ago kaitlin
If they weren't good on their own, stick a half in the next smoothie you make! Adds a yummy creaminess to them and some healthy fats!
9 months ago Frank
I love avocados, but I am also cheap. When they go on sale I buy bags full of hard ones. I let them sit out just until they are slightly giving by a squeeze. Then some I chop some, but most I mash. I put them in gallon freezer bags with a fair amount of lemon or lime juice. Then I suck out the air with my trusty straw (cheap sealameal) and freeze flat. The real trick I use is to only fill the bags about an inch thick. Then when I want some avocado for toast or burger or gauc, I let the bag sit on the counter for a few minutes to slightly soften, slide what I want out of the bag, put it at the edge of the counter, whack off a frozen piece and put the rest of the bag back in the freezer. Has worked for me for years. The real trick , as I see it, is to use it as quickly as you can. I've tried the same method with halves, but not had the same results. If you fold the side a little when you freeze the bag, the brick of avocado will be slightly smaller then the bag, which eases removal of the part you want. Think I just convinced myself to have some on toast right now on this freezing Midwest morning.
9 months ago Adam Janofsky
Those avocados look so sad! Can you try freeze drying them for your next project?
9 months ago Sam1148
Sam is a trusted home cook.
What? You didn't include lemon juice? That's kinda the vital part of the process here. I store mine in the fridge cut after a dip in citric acid solution. They'll last cut in the fridge almost a week.
9 months ago Sarah Jampel
Sarah is Food52's senior staff writer & stylist.
I do worry my lemon juice negligence affected the color, but what about the texture, which was the real problem?
9 months ago Sam1148
Sam is a trusted home cook.
I think the goal of freezing them isn't to have nice firm avocados like freash but to have to guac consistency stuff. If you're looking just to store them a bit longer get some citric acid and dip them put them in the 'fridge. Also it's nice to have citric acid on hand. It's a good cleaner, used to keep down mold and bacteria when you grow sprouts in a jar, And you can make your own Alka-selzter with it. I use as a all purpose veggie rinse..and it prolongs the life of every thing rinsed in it. It's a natural product..made from fruit.
10 months ago Christie Tully
Years ago trade joes used to sell frozen avocados and it was fantastic. They were without peel- I think it's like how bananas can't be frozen in their peel bc they turn out gross.
10 months ago Jennifer Simon
I vacuum seal my avocados and they stay good in the fridge for up to two weeks.
10 months ago ChefJune
June is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Do you mean like with a Food Saver?
9 months ago Jennifer Simon
Yeah. I love that thing. Keeps my produce fresh longer and allows me to prep food further in advance. I also use it to freeze berries and meat which works beautifully.
5 months ago dw
I just used a food saver for an avocado and it tasted awful. i was so hoping this was the fix to not wasting perfectly good avocado. The avocado had a fermented taste. I couldn't imagine why. The first one I tried, I left on the counter, sealed the half that still had a pit. After a few days the plastic began coming away from the avocado. So the next time I scooped out the avocado before vacuum sealing and put it in the fridge. I thought it was a success since there was no air pocket. But the avocado tasted awful.
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