Today we're answering the question, "Can you freeze avocados?" Yes, that's right--we're talking about freezing avocados.
But first, let me tell you. My family has a problem.
An avocado problem.
And it's real. I mean 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.
You can see evidence of our avocado problem here:
WE. Love. Avocados.
But I have another problem.
My name is Adrienne and I'm a Frugalaholic.
When something is on sale, I feel the need to get as much of it as I can.
I've done this for a long time. 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 (or invade your living space). I've shared some of my storage tips in these posts:
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
But today, the question today is--can you freeze avocados.
And the answer is--yes. Freezing avocados is a thing. A real thing.
How I Learned about Freezing Avocados
You see, whenever there is a serious sale on avocados, I just can't help myself. I mean, WE just can't help ourselves. I feel the need to buy A LOT. And I don't mean 10 or 15 avocados. I mean a LOT of avocados.
'Cause there have been some serious sales around here, like 3 for $1. That's serious. I haven't seen it in awhile, but hoping it comes back real soon.
When I saw this sale, I went to work wondering how I could store avocados to keep them long term, so we could feed our avocado habit on the cheap.
I mean, avocados are great, but they have a problem and it's a big one. You buy them and they're rock hard one day.
Then you go to get one out about 5 minutes later, and they are MUSH! (Well, maybe not 5 minutes, but you get my point.)
I wondered, "Can you freeze avocados?" and then went to work searching the internet.
What I found is that yes, freezing avocados is something that seriously works.
So I went to the store.
And bought them. A LOT of them.
And we ate a lot of them. I mean, we ate them plain, with salt, we dipped carrots into them (with a little salt on top), we made this Zingy Avocado Dressing, these Chocolate Avocado Truffles (serious yum), these Chocolate Mint Grasshopper Bars, and this AIP Guacamole.
But you can't eat LOADS of avocados fast enough to keep them from spoiling once they all start turning.
So we followed the tips about how to freeze avocados and froze the rest.
Problem is, I did it the wrong way. A blogger out there said that you could freeze them plain, and well, you can, but the result is kind of icky. Brown Guacamole icky.
Let's just say that my kids weren't that happy with the results.
So you can now benefit from my Freezing Avocado Fail.
I went back to figure out what went wrong, and am now here I am to tell you some great methods for freezing avocados so you won't have your family grimacing at you about the weird color of your guacamole :).
And to make things even more handy dandy for you, I've rounded up not only information about freezing avocados, but 4 different ways to freeze avocados, depending on the time you have and how you are going to use them. So now you can have them at the ready for however you would like to use them.
Please note, that frozen avocados will not lend themselves well to eating on their own or sliced on a sandwich. The texture will be more suitable to things like dressings, dips, etc. (or Chocolate Truffles!).
Freezing Avocados - the How To's
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 tsp lemon or lime juice per each large avocado, or 1 tsp 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.
Alternative Storage Options for Freezing Avocados
- Zipper Freezer Bags
Some frugal folk have recommend 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 thoughts on this as well! - Store in Jars
If you would 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.
How Long Can You Store Avocados In the 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 be dependent on the method used to freeze, as well as the quality and temperature of your freezer.
How to Defrost Frozen Avocados
To thaw frozen avocado, place either the halves or bags of dices or 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.
So--if avocados were on sale 3/$1 where you live, how many would YOU buy?
You asked about Food Savers: I inherited one which sat around my kitchen for years, unused, until the pandemic hit. I started using it because I went grocery shopping as little as possible but when I did, I bought in bulk. Now I use my Food Saver much more often and have found it to be very useful. I keep it handy and use it often so it no longer seems like a big deal to take it out and set it up. Often I'll use it just to bag one thing, and it's become an important part of my food-related routine. I used to think it was an unnecessary gadget but it does a much better job of keeping frozen foods fresh than freezer bags. I'm a believer!
I think I need to do it!!! Do you have a recommended brand?
Can you freeze them before they are ripe? I just got 10 but they are all hard and bright green!
No, that won't work b/c they won't ripen after you remove them from the freezer.
I was given a Food Saver as a gift and figured it would sit on the shelf.WRONG!
It keeps food, either frozen or fresh many times longer. Meat is good for 3 years in the freezer, no freezer burn etc. Couldn't be without it.
OK I'm thinking I might have to do it! Tabletop or handheld???
Food Savers are THE way to freeze food! I only have the bottom freezer in my frig so I can’t buy as much bulk food as I’d like. When I do, the Food Saver comes out. I divide up all kinds of meat into recipe-size portions & freeze left overs to enjoy another time. No one else in my house likes kidney beans in salad (& like avocados, they don’t keep well once the can is opened) so I cut the Saver bags into small rectangular packets, divide the can of beans into 1-salad portions, suck all the air out with the appliance & voila! I have the perfect amount of single-salad kidney beans for about 10 salads! (yes, the packet needs to come out of the freezer about 20-30 minutes before eating the salad).
It takes a little trial & error to fine tune how to best use the Food Saver but the benefits are worth it. Now, I’m going to put my Food Saver to work & follow your suggestions for freezing avocados.
Nice!!!! OK I might have to get one! Tabletop or hand held? I really don't need another thing in here but.........
I currently live in so cal where $1 each avocados are expensive, and a good sale is 4 or 5 for $1. A family member actually has an avocado tree and has shared her haul with me. We’re in the process of preparing to move to Tennessee and I’m trying to figure out how to save some of these for the dark days ahead.
Thank you so much for the tips! I’ve frozen premade guacamole before but I hadn’t considered making my own to freeze. I’m excited to try it out!
Oh wow - that's amazing! Yes, I'm concerned about what is coming soon......it's going to be very hard to navigate things. I wish I had an avocado tree near me and I wish I were moving to TN. So you have made me jealous on a number of fronts.
My daughter started both of her children on Avocados as first baby food. They washed them well before cutting. Cut in half remove the stone and slice Avocado; put instantly into freezer bag remove as much air as possible; then freeze. Remove as much as needed for baby. Mash with fork if gets too mushy the baby won’t care and had no problem with turning brown. Avocado is good for brain development.
Great tip!
Hi Adrienne, thanks for your email. The model I have is FoodSaver and I bought it in Amazon.com I used mostly to freeze vegetables and fruits. I’m not a good cook or baker, and don’t enjoy the supper market, I buy enough so I don’t have to go shopping everyday, I cook enough to save for other times. I love my veggie/ fruits smoothies everyday, prefer fresh fruits but it is impossible to keep them fresh for so long . I just got the FoodSaver about a month ago and love it!
Thank you, I have a lot to learn from your recipes.
Thank YOU and welcome! Reach out anytime! If you'd like to join my FB group we would love to have you. I hope to grow it more! https://www.facebook.com/groups/171490083677560/
I have used a FoodSaver for years. I have not tried freezing avocados but I have five on my counter that I’m going to try freezing. I have found with anything soft, I.e. meat, fruit, bread, etc., it’s best to freeze first then used the FoodSaver. That way it doesn’t smoosh the food!