Ah, avocados. It’s the one fruit that somehow always takes forever to ripen, only to spoil within the blink of an eye.

Okay, maybe that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but most people can probably agree that it’s really hard to use them before they go bad. Thankfully, we’ve figured out a way to make that short perfectly-ripe window last way longer.

There’s really nothing better at keeping food fresh for longer than your freezer. While it works great for soups and leftovers, it’s also how to store avocado to keep the fruit perfectly ripe for months. Seriously.

Once you know your batch of avocados is ripe and ready to be eaten, you don’t have to scramble to figure out how to use them before they spoil. Just toss them in the freezer and take them out when you’re ready. They’ll stay in that perfectly-ripe stage for 2 to 3 months.

When you want to use an avocado, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw on your counter. In about 30 minutes, you’ll be able to peel some of the skin back. And, you guessed it: The avocado flesh will still be a beautiful shade of bright green. Yep—the freezer is essentially an avocado’s Fountain of Youth.

Once your avocado is fully thawed, you can use it in however you’d like. Level up your avocado toast by making avocado butter, whip up some avocado chocolate pudding, or add it into grain bowls or salads. Here’s how to store avocado to keep it fresh for months, step by step.

How to Store Avocado to Keep It Fresh for Months

1. When your avocado is fully ripe, put it in the freezer. It will stay in its ripe stage for 2 to 3 months.
2. Once you’re ready to eat the avocado, remove it from the freezer and set it on your countertop to thaw.
3. After 30 minutes, peel the skin back on the avocado to reveal its bright green flesh.
4. Once fully thawed, enjoy the avocado however you please.
5. If you can’t finish all the avocado, prevent food waste by storing the remaining half in an avocado hugger.

Avocados, Cooking Hack, Cooking Tips, Life Hack