This post is in reply to comments I’ve gotten both on the blog and on Facebook about picking avocados.

When I go through a bin of avocados, I’m always happy to find firm non-ripened ones because that means I can stock up. Avocados last a surprisingly long time in the fridge. Take them out as needed and leave on the counter to ripen.

The tricky thing is when the avocados are soft. I’ve been told on Facebook that I should only use the squeeze test to ensure that I’m getting a perfectly ripe avocado. I’m sorry, but that test is not exact and can result in the purchase of slimy avocados good only for the compost pile.

What a produce manager taught me is that when you get these soft avocados, check out their belly buttons under the stem. If the stem doesn’t come off on its own, do not force it. That will damage the avocado and cause it to ripen too fast.

But if the stem comes right off, the avocado is at some point of ripeness. Check the colour of the belly button. Bright green and moist means you’re holding a perfectly ripe avocado. Brown and woody, the avocado shouldn’t even be for sale anymore and you haven’t done any damage by removing the stem.

These soft avocados with a bright green belly button should be eaten immediately or in the next day or two at the most if stored in the fridge.

I repeat, do NOT remove the stems on the unripened avocados, just the soft ones where the stem is ready to fall off on its own, unless you plan to bring that firm fruit home. Otherwise, you risk turning the avocado into something that can’t be sold, especially important when buying directly from a grower whose profit margin is thin.

Again, my information comes from a produce manager. Your experience and personal opinion may vary. But I have never brought home a bad avocado thanks to this information and I don’t have money to waste on food that shouldn’t be for sale in the first place.