How Long Do Avocados Last?

How long do avocados last?

By TheWholePortion

Page last updated: 03/22/2023 | Next review date: 03/22/2025

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In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “how long do avocados last” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of avocados. Moreover, we are going to discuss the proper way to store avocados and the ways to spot bad avocados.

So without much ado, let’s dive in and figure out more about it.

Avocados have different shelf life depending upon whether they are ripe or unripe and if they are whole or cut.

Unripe avocado

Unripe, whole avocados last for about 2-7 days when they are stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of your pantry away from direct sunlight and heat. It is worth mentioning that you should store your avocados in a well-ventilated place. Moreover, you should never store your avocados in a humid place, or else the excessive moisture content will mess up the quality and freshness of the avocado.

Ripe avocado

Once your avocados have ripened, they last for about 3-5 days when they are stored properly in the fridge at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut avocado

When you cut a whole avocado, its shelf life decreases owing to the now exposed surface of the cut avocado. Moreover, as the cut avocado has a larger surface area therefore it provides more room for bacteria to grow on it. Therefore cut avocados last for about 2-4 days in the fridge when stored in a plastic zipper bag at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Homemade guacamole

When it comes to homemade guacamole it lasts for about 3-4 days when stored in the fridge in an air-tight container at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. But we recommend you eat it within 1-2 days for enjoying its best flavor.

On the other hand, homemade guacamole lasts for about 2 hours at room temperature. Bacteria grow at a faster pace between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit therefore it is recommended to discard the guacamole that is left in open for more than 2 hours as there is a great chance that the bacteria would have already spread over it and would have spoiled it.

If the outside temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit then the guacamole lasts for only about an hour when left out in the open. You can read how to make guacamole here.

It is worth mentioning that these figures are just the estimated shelf life of avocado.

Tips to preserve the freshness of avocados for a long time

Do not wash or peel the fresh avocados until you are ready to eat them
Fresh raw whole avocados can be stored in a cool, dry, and dark corner of the pantry but if you want to prolong their shelf life then it is recommended to store them properly in the fridge.
In case you want to keep the fresh avocados in the pantry, then you should store them in a well-ventilated space.
Moreover, you should not store your avocados in a humid or warm environment as the moisture content can mess up the quality of the avocado and along with warm temperature, it also provides a suitable environment for the molds to grow upon.
You should not leave your cut avocados for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
You should put the cut avocados in a plastic zipper bag before storing them in the refrigerator.

How to tell if avocados have gone bad?

There are a couple of indications that point out that your avocados have gone bad. You should consider the appearance, texture, and smell of the avocados to give a final verdict about whether or not avocados have gone bad.

Appearance

If you spot a mold or some organic growth on your avocado, then the best thing you can do in this scenario is to get rid of the whole avocado. Moreover, molds can also produce mycotoxins in an avocado that has gone bad and if you consume or even inhale these mycotoxins they can disturb your gut flora and can weaken your immune system.

Moreover, if there are brown spots or if the otherwise green-yellow color of the avocado has changed to brown, then it is recommended to discard such an avocado.

Texture

If you find a lot of thick fibers in the avocado or if it is stringy, then it is better no to consume them. These avocados are not necessarily bad, they indicate that either they are the fruits of a young tree or they were not stored appropriately. So it is up to you whether you want to eat them or not.

Smell

If you smell off-smell or something that quite does not feel like the avocado itself when you take a sniff test then it is better to get rid of such avocado.

Other FAQs about Avocado which you may be interested in.

How to soften a cut avocado ( 5 ways)

How to pick an avocado at the grocery store?

Can you eat oxidized avocado? (+5 Ways)

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the question “how long do avocados last” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of avocados. Moreover, we discussed the proper way to store avocados and the ways to spot bad avocados.