You bought beautiful green avocados or bananas from the store, planning to make guacamole or a smoothie.
You bought beautiful green avocados or bananas from the store, planning to make guacamole or a smoothie. But when you get home, they are as hard as a rock. Waiting 4 days for them to ripen naturally on the counter is frustrating.
The Science of Ethylene Gas Fruits like bananas, avocados, apples, and tomatoes produce a natural plant hormone called ethylene gas as they ripen. When released into the open air, the gas dissipates. But if you trap that gas around the unripe fruit, it accelerates the ripening process dramatically. The Brown Paper Bag Hack: Get a standard brown paper lunch bag. Do not use a plastic bag; plastic traps moisture as well as gas, which will cause the fruit to rot and mold instead of ripen. Place your rock-hard avocado or green bananas inside the bag. To supercharge the process, add an already-ripe fruit into the bag. Fold the top of the paper bag tightly to seal it and leave it on your kitchen counter at room temperature. Check the bag after 24 hours.
