danny writes:
how do i ripen these things? I think they're the fuerte variety
(green smooth skin) and they look ready to pick but they just don't
ripen. I read online its best to ripen in a paper bag with an apple or
banana and thats what I did... they've been in there for almost 3
weeks now, one seemed softer than the others so i cut it and the meat
was like rubber.

You're probably in the northern hemisphere, so your weather would now
be cool and getting colder. Did you store the paper bag + avo + banana
in a warm place? If so, then I'd say you have done about all you can.
I think it needs to be a *ripening* banana, not a grass green one that
stays green. If the avocado hasn't ripened in three weeks in the paper
bag then it probably isn't going to.

As you have a treeful of the fruit, you are able to experiment. I have
heard that you can microwave a firm avo to soften it. I don't know the
duration, so perhaps you can experiment. Be conservative. The flavour
might not be up to that of naturally ripened fruit, even if it does
soften. I'd try for paper bag ripening for a week or so and then finish
off with a short nuke. Your rubbery fleshed avo might have responded
well to a short spell in the microwave since it was close to ripening.

Something nibbles at the avos on trees here, in Oz. We don't have
squirrels, and I've always assumed it to be rats as they climb nearly
anything and the bite marks are small nibbles. But it might be our native
possums.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)