How to Freeze Avocados: 4 Ways
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Today I'm answering the question, “Can you freeze avocados?” Yes, that's right, believe it or not, you can freeze avocados.
But first, let me tell you. My family has a problem.
An avocado problem.
And it's real.
If there was an Avocados Anonymous we'd all be full-fledged members. And we might even be the heads of our local chapter. In fact, I'm sure that we would be.
But I have yet another problem.
My name is Adrienne and I'm a Frugalaholic.
When something is on sale, I feel the need to stock up.
My husband and I were the types who loaded all of the loss leaders into our cart and got funny stares from people in the checkout line.
Well, when you buy in bulk and make a lot of homemade healthy food, you need to figure out how to store bulk purchases so that they don't spoil, and that includes avocados.
Why I Had to Freeze Avocados
Recently there was a 3/$1 sale on avocadoes, and I started wondering how I could store avocados without them spoiling.
I mean, if you buy a lot of avocados, you can eat them plain, with salt, dip carrots into them (with a little salt on top), make this Zingy Avocado Dressing, these Chocolate Avocado Truffles (serious yum), these Chocolate Mint Grasshopper Bars, and this AIP Guacamole.
But there's a limit to how many avos you can eat before they turn to mush.
Problem is, that some of the information out there about freezing avocados is wrong.
I am instead going to share some great methods for freezing avocados.
And to make things even better, I've rounded up 4 different ways to freeze avocados, depending on the time you have and how you're going to use them.
Please note, that frozen avocados will not lend themselves well to eating thawed on their own or sliced on a sandwich. The texture will be more suitable to things like dressings, dips, etc. (or Chocolate Truffles!).
However, diced or cubed frozen avocados work great in smoothies like this Keto Strawberry Avocado Smoothie.
Ways to Store
- Zipper Freezer Bags
Some frugal folk have recommended this alternative to the Food Saver System: putting a straw into a Ziploc bag, then sucking the last bit of air out of the bag before sealing. I haven't tried it yet so I'd love to hear your thoughts on this as well! - Store in Jars
If you'dd prefer to not freeze in bags due to concerns about plastic, storing in these jars is a good alternative. - Water instead of Lemon Juice
A fan on my Facebook page shared that she heard that water works just as well for keeping avocados from browning. I haven't tried this when freezing avocados yet, and am skeptical, but it might work.
Shelf Life in Freezer
Avocados should keep for 3-6 months in the freezer. They will still be safe to eat after that time, but their flavor might be diminished.
Of course, their shelf life in the freezer will depend on the method used to freeze, as well as the quality and temperature of your freezer.
How to Defrost
To thaw frozen avocado, place either the halves or diced avocados in a bowl of cold water or in the fridge. Halves could be thawed on a plate for about 30 minutes and some say that they taste better when eaten a bit on the frozen side.
Other Ways to Preserve Foods
If this post has been a help for you, you might find these to be of help as well:
How to Freeze Bananas
How to Freeze Cucumbers
How to Store Nuts and Seeds
How to Freeze and Store Berries
The Easiest Way to Store Tomatoes
How to Store Prepared Beans
The Best Way to Preserve Herbs
How to Store Leafy Greens
Freeze-drying is great too! We have a freeze dryer from this company and we love it. We've preserved LOTS of guacamole (plain avocados don't freeze dry that well, but some like them that way), bananas, pears, cauliflower rice, and more. It's a fantastic way to take advantage of sales and have food that you love available year-round!
How to Freeze Avocados–4 Ways
Ingredients
- avocados
- lemon juice/lime juice (optional)
Instructions
In Halves
- This is the easiest way to go about freezing avocados. Simply cut your avocados in half lengthwise, peel them (either before or after cutting), put them on a plate or tray, spritz each half with some lemon (or lime) juice. You don’t need to douse the avocados, but you do want to make sure that you are pretty much coating them.A good rule of thumb would be about 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice per each large avocado, or 1 teaspoon for each small one. You can of course use fresh squeezed lemon juice, but I LOVE this Organic Lemon Juice. I get mine in a HUGE double pack at Costco (see, I told you that I'm all about bulk everything!)Place the avocado halves in a plastic storage bag and press as much of the air as possible. If you really want to get all of the air out, you can use a food saver system. I've had my eye on these and would love to know if you all find them to be a great addition to a frugal kitchen, or just one more gadget that doesn't get used much.
Diced
- If you'd rather go an extra step to protect your avocados from browning due to air exposure, you can dice your avocados and toss them with lemon juice. Then place the dices in a Ziploc Bag or use a food saver system to get as much of the air out as possible.You can then use the dices in any recipes calling for avocados.I recommend bagging up 2-4 diced avocados at a time and noting how many avocados are in each bag by writing something on a label on the bag, so that you can easily grab some from the freezer and use them in recipes.
Puree
- Since you're likely going to be mashing up your frozen avocados, this is another great way to freeze them. If you freeze halves or dices, your final recipe will be chunkier than if you puree them, but pureeing works great for making dressings, sauces, guacamole, truffles :), or putting avocado into smoothies.Simply toss your avocado into a food processor or blender, squeeze in some lemon juice, and process to desired texture. Then scoop the puree into a plastic storage bag, remove as much air as possible, and freeze.Alternatively, you can store the pureed avocados in ice cube trays. Fill each cavity with some of your lovely and smooth avocado puree, and freeze. I would recommend buying separate ice cube trays for this as they might get a bit discolored.Place the trays in the freezer until the puree is frozen. Then simply pop the cubes out and place in a plastic storage bag.
Guacamole
- If you would like to have guac on the fly (and on the cheap), this is a great way to go.You can of course use your favorite guacamole recipe, but we LOVE this AIP (autoimmune paleo) Guacamole. It has no nightshades so those who either are on the Autoimmune Paleo Diet (this is a great book about the AIP diet, by the way) or those who are avoiding nightshades can enjoy guacamole without side effects.Any guacamole recipe will work. I will say, however, that the texture of your guacamole will be better after freezing if you avoid the tomatoes. Even though my Easiest Way to Store Tomatoes is a great option, the results aren't optimal and I think you might not be happy with less than optimal results guac.You can either freeze the guacamole in a plastic storage bag, or try the ice cube tray method again. This would be particularly handy if you are making Taco Salads (or any kind of salad or meal) in a Jar ahead of time. These jars would be perfect for this!Oh, and if you're going to make a Taco Salad in a Jar, you will for sure want to use this Easy Delish Homemade Taco Seasoning for it!Simply toss a cube or two of your frozen guacamole onto the salad the night before. It will be thawed and ready to eat by lunch the next day.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
If avocados were on sale 3/$1 where you live, how many would YOU buy?
Thank you for your advice.
I am a huge fan of avocados.
In my country, (Serbia) I’ve never experienced that much of a discount. I just bought one kilo of avocados at a discount, it was $ 5, it was 6 avocados. The most discount that we have here is 1 dollar 1 avocado. It’s a shame.
You are so welcome. I’m so sorry about the lack of heavy discounts where you live. They are fewer and fewer these days here. The money situation around the world is not good. Poor money management and a lot of greed. It is a shame. Hang in there!
Thank you, you are so kind.
I have a question, how much avocado do you recommend daily?
I am a frugivore, actually, with lots of adjustments and changes. In the past year or more I have eaten only zucchini and avocados, bananas and apples, and a few dates‚ daily. So, what do you know how much avocado is it okay to eat daily? I eat one whole avocado. Some say it is too much. What do you say? And those are the only fats that I am taking. Thank you.
Aww you’re so welcome. I don’t know. It’s hard to discern that kind of thing because while I love them and know they are healthy fat……but they are also high in copper so you need to watch that. Making sure you are getting zinc can help because zinc and copper counteract each other.
Really helpful, thanks.
I’ve found when cutting in half, if you smear the exposed surface with a tiny bit of oil, say on the tip of your finger, this keeps well too in the fridge. Another option for freezing perhaps?
You are so welcome. Do you mean that you are thinking freezing 1/2 an avocado like that?
Living in South Texas has one disadvantage—it’s HOT! But one of the many advantages is abundant produce year round! Last week I picked up a CASE of 84 very firm avocados for $10. (
Hi there. WOW I am soooo jealous and would love to move there! You are so welcome and I hope it works well for you. I guess I need a Food Saver after all! We’ve mostly been freeze drying a lot of guac recently – I hope to share more about that soon. It’s a great option too – wholenewmom.com/freezedryer (that’s the one that we have). Take care!
Just so you know, I love my Food Saver and use it constantly. I don’t even put it away and I hate cluttered countertops.
I’m so intrigued by this. I actually bought one and returned it and now I don’t know what to do. I’m moving towards freeze drying (no food saver needed LOL) but I’ve also heard about people using foil as a poor man’s food saver……..what do you think?
What do you use it for?
This information is so helplful.Ilive in the caribbean.lots of fruits an veggies . thanks
Great to hear! I’m jealous–wish I had that kind of abundance!
I am allergic to citrus which can be challenging with many recipes. I have used fruit fresh & citric acid in place to slow browning of certain fruits. Any suggestions on how to use these or another option for freezing avocados. I just found your site & enjoying the information. Thank you GInger
Thanks and welcome! What did you do w/ the other fruits? You could also try just putting oil on the avocado which should work as well.
I have been using the straw to suck air out of zip lock bags for decades. Works great for me.
I need to look into this – sounds like a very viable option.