Knowing when are avocados ready to pick is one of the most common questions for home growers. It’s a crucial skill, because unlike most fruit, avocados ripen off the tree, not on it. Picking them at the right stage is the secret to getting that perfect, buttery texture. This guide will walk you through the simple signs and tests to harvest your avocados at their prime.
When Are Avocados Ready To Pick
This is the million-dollar question. The simple answer is that avocados are ready to pick when they have reached full maturity on the tree, but they will only become soft and edible after they are harvested. The timing depends heavily on your avocado variety and your local climate. There’s no single calendar date that works for everyone.
The Golden Rule: Mature vs. Ripe
First, let’s clear up a major point of confusion. Maturity and ripeness are not the same thing for avocados.
- Mature: This means the fruit has reached its full size and oil content on the tree. It has finished growing and is ready to be picked. It will still be hard as a rock.
- Ripe: This is the soft, ready-to-eat stage that happens days or weeks after you pick the mature fruit. The ripening process begins once the avocado is detached from the tree.
Your goal is to harvest mature fruit. Nature will handle the ripening later.
Key Signs Your Avocados Are Mature
Use a combination of these indicators to judge maturity. Don’t rely on just one.
1. Variety and Typical Harvest Season
This is your starting point. Different types of avocados mature at different times of the year. A ‘Hass’ avocado is ready in a different season than a ‘Fuerte’. Do a quick search for your specific tree variety and your region. For example:
- Hass: Often mature from April through September in California.
- Fuerte: Typically mature from November through March.
- Bacon: A winter variety, often ready from November to February.
Knowing your variety’s general window gives you a clue when to start looking closer.
2. Color and Skin Texture Changes
Many avocado varieties change color as they mature. This is most obvious in dark-skinned types like Hass.
- Hass: Starts as a bright green and slowly turns a very dark, almost blackish-purple when mature. The skin also becomes bumpier.
- Green-Skinned Varieties (Fuerte, Zutano): These stay green, but the skin often changes to a slightly duller, yellower green. The shine may fade.
Color change is a helpful hint, but it can be trick by sun exposure or weather, so use it with other tests.
3. The Stem Test (The Best Method)
This is the most reliable technique for checking individual fruit. Here’s how to do it:
- Choose an avocado that looks full-sized and has good color.
- Gently try to flick the small stem (the button) off with your finger.
- If the stem is dried, brittle, and comes off easily, check the spot underneath.
- If the area underneath is green: The fruit is likely mature and ready to pick.
- If the area is brown or black: The avocado is probably over-mature and may have internal issues.
- If the stem doesn’t budge at all and feels firmly attached, the fruit needs more time on the tree.
4. Size and Feel
Your avocados should feel heavy for their size and the skin should be mostly uniform. If they still look skinny or underfilled, they likely need more time. Give them a gentle squeeze; a mature avocado will have a very slight give, but only if it’s been hanging a long time. Usually, they remain firm.
Step-by-Step Harvesting Guide
Once you’ve determined an avocado is mature, it’s time to harvest correctly to avoid damaging the tree or the fruit.
- Use the right tool: Use hand pruners or a picking pole with a basket and cutter. Don’t just yank the fruit.
- Cut the stem: For fruit within reach, snip the stem about half an inch above the avocado. Don’t pull the fruit off, as this can tear the skin and create an entry point for rot.
- For high fruit: Use a picking pole. Position the basket under the avocado and pull gently until the cutter severs the stem. Let it drop into the basket softly.
- Handle with care: Place harvested avocados gently into a bucket or basket. Bruising now will show up as black spots later when they ripen.
The Ripening Process After Picking
Now you have a basket of hard, mature avocados. Here’s how to get them to that perfect eating stage.
- Speed up ripening: Place avocados in a brown paper bag with a banana or apple. These fruits release ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone that accelerates ripening. Fold the bag closed at room temperature.
- Check daily: Check them once a day by giving a gentle squeeze near the stem end. They are ready to eat when they yield to gentle pressure. This can take from 2 to 7 days.
- Slow down ripening: If you want to delay ripening, store the hard, mature avocados in the refrigerator. They can last for weeks this way. When you want one, take it out and use the paper bag method to ripen it.
A common mistake is leaving all the fruit out, and then they all ripen at once. Stagger them by refrigerating some.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Here’s what might happen.
- Fruit never softens: It was picked too early, before reaching maturity. Unfortunately, these will never ripen properly. They’ll remain rubbery or shrivel.
- Fruit ripens unevenly or has stringy flesh: This is often due to cool weather during the fruit’s growth or the tree being too young. It’s usually not something you did wrong at harvest.
- Brown spots inside after ripening: This is usually from bruising during harvest or handling, or from the fruit being left on the tree too long (over-mature).
- Fruit drops from tree while still hard: A few drops are normal, especially in hot, dry, or windy weather. A large drop can indicate a stressed tree needing water or nutrients.
FAQ: Your Avocado Harvest Questions Answered
Q: Can I just leave avocados on the tree until I need them?
A: For some varieties, yes, for a limited time. This is called “storing on the tree.” However, most varieties will eventually become over-mature, fall off, or develop an off flavor if left too long. It’s better to harvest mature fruit and refrigerate them.
Q: How long does it take for a picked avocado to ripen?
A: At room temperature, it typically takes 3 to 6 days. With an apple or banana in a bag, it can take 2 to 3 days. In cool weather, it may take a full week or more.
Q: My avocado is shiny and green. Is it ready?
A> It depends on the variety. For a Hass, no. For a Fuerte, maybe. Always use the stem test and check the harvest window for your specific tree type. Shine is not a good indicator by itself.
Q: What if I pick an avocado too early?
A: If it’s truly immature, it will not ripen. It will stay hard, then shrivel. If it was close to maturity, it may ripen but the flavor and texture won’t be ideal—it might be watery or lack richness.
Q: Can I pick avocados when they are soft?
A: You can, but they are more prone to bruising and the window for perfect eating is very short. Birds and pests may also have already damaged them. It’s safer to pick them hard and mature.
Mastering the harvest takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of the stem test and know your tree’s schedule, it becomes second nature. Paying attention to these simple signs ensures you’ll enjoy the full, creamy reward of your homegrown avocados every single time.