How do you tell when an avocado is ripe?

Avocados that yield to gentle pressure when squeezed are generally ripe enough to eat. If an avocado feels very firm or somewhat mushy, then it is either a few days away from being ripe or it's overripe.

When squeezing avocados, be careful to not to push it with your fingertips, as this can bruise the fruit. Don't rely on color to determine an avocado's ripeness, as some become almost black when they're ripe while other varieties may remain bright green. To ripen an avocado, place it in a small paper bag and store it at room temperature. It should be ripe enough to eat in two to five days.