When I buy avocados, I choose the greenest I can find. That way I know that they aren't likely to have been squeezed by anyone. Any time one is squeezed, it will cause a bruise. Even a small bruise can ruin the flavor of an otherwise perfect looking avocado. I buy them a couple of days before I plan to use them, and I put them in a bowl on the counter. I don't put them in a bag. For sure don't leave them in a plastic bag, like from the produce section. When they turn dark, they are ripe. That usually takes a couple of days. If I want to use them mashed, I might wait another day, but usually two days are okay. There are only wonderful avocados and terrible ones. There is nothing in between.

Marilyn has it exactly right, IMO.

Jim

Many avocados are NOT the Hass variety which turns dark when ripe. Several varieties of avocado remain green when fully ripe. If you wait for them to turn dark you will have spoiled fruit.

Lindac also has it exactly right. The stay green ones I am familiar with are quite smooth and one very large version is huge and shiny. It pretty much means giving a gentle balanced squeeze if you are checking for ripeness.

I suppose the stem thing would pull off easily if ripe, but I have never tried it and agree that it seems socially questionable. On the other hand, I suppose you could practice on a known ripe one at home and calibrate your flicking pressure and be willing to purchase any you are able to flick off.

The nub technique has worked well for me. I've used this technique on the last 40 Haas avocados I've purchased (yes, I love avocados!) and have ended up with only 2 that were very slightly brown under the nub after a couple weeks in the fridge. I leave them on the counter and pop them in the fridge when they I think they are "perfect". They seem to keep for weeks without turning brown inside.

I think my local Walmart has a huge supply of good avocados which contributes to the high "hits" using this technique. I've probably found only 3 avocados which were brown under the nub, all others have been green.

I stand corrected on the ripeness test. I was thinking only of Hass avocados, which are the only ones I ever buy. And even with those, I test by squeezing, not by color.

Jim

There are wonderful avocados, and there are terrible avocados, and then there is the loathsome, soul-sucking, family-destroying, "Slimcado".

Eat one and you will be so angry at the perverse deception that just slimed your gullet, that you will kick your dog, beat your children, speak unkindly under your breath to your SWMBO, and then plow under old ladies as you rush to buy a real Haas avocado.

I ate one two years ago and am still upset about it.

Ain't that the truth, Johnliu! The worst is when you pay an extra $1.50 to add a measly amount of avocado to your sandwich and your hard earned money goes toward the slimecado instead. Not fair!

BWJ...I think John was talking about an avocado especially bred to be lower in fat....a "slimcado"....not an avocado that is slimy...which might be a "slimecado".

Here is a link that might be useful: slimcado

Oh, my. That just breaks my heart.