How to Keep Guacamole from Turning Brown

Figuring out how to keep guacamole from turning brown isn't easy. Everyone seems to have a different technique: top it with water, add some lime juice… you name it. But a food manufacturer that produces guac on the daily is sharing an industry secret that actually works.

In a TikTok that's gone viral with more than 4 million views, Jacob Clanton, the founder of Old Man’s Salsa, shared his expert opinion on how to keep guacamole from turning brown. "I manufacture guacamole, so I know what I'm talking about," he says. And the long-awaited answer is simple: keep the air out.

According to Clanton, air is your worst enemy when trying to keep guacamole green. Once cut open, an enzyme in the flesh of the avocado reacts with oxygen, resulting in the icky brown color. But you've probably noticed that it's typically only the top layer that's affected—the layer that actually has contact with oxygen.

Luckily, Clanton has a special technique he uses to keep the air from turning his guacamole brown. Here's everything you need to know to get started.

How to Keep Guacamole from Turning Brown

First, find the right size container for the amount of guac you're storing in the fridge. Clanton purposely chooses a 12-ounce container to store 13.4 ounces of guac to ensure it's entirely stuffed with avocado goodness—not air.

"Whatever container you have at home—I don't care what the size is—you want to put a little bit more in there than it holds," he says.

Next, fill the container to the top. Then, tap it to get all the air bubbles out and condense it as much as possible. Add the lid on halfway and give it a couple more taps to get additional air out. Then slowly close the lid, smearing the guac on the top of the lid to press out the air before snapping it closed.

Clanton says as long as the air is out, it will stay green for up to seven days. But... what happens when you want to dig in to eat it? As you enjoy your guac, he recommends sizing down the container size and continuing this process.

If you want to keep it in the same container to avoid extra dishes, skip the plastic wrap many suggest and instead press a beeswax wrap against the surface of the guacamole before shutting the container to prevent oxygen from reaching the guacamole. Bright green guac, here you come.