For Hass avocados, dark green to nearly black skin usually means ripeness. Bright green ones are likely underripe.
Give it a light squeeze in your palm — ripe avocados yield slightly to pressure without feeling mushy or overly soft.
If it feels like a stone, it’s not ready yet. Unless you plan to use it in a few days, skip it or let it ripen at home.
Overripe avocados feel very soft and may have sunken spots or wrinkles — signs of browning or spoilage inside.
Flick off the little stem nub. If it pops off easily and you see green underneath, it’s ripe. Brown underneath? It’s likely overripe.
A bumpy, pebble-like skin is a sign of a Hass avocado, the most common creamy, flavorful variety. Smooth-skinned varieties (like Fuerte) may ripen a bit differently but follow the same squeeze test.
A ripe avocado may have a faint, nutty scent at the stem. A sour or off smell? Toss it — it's likely spoiled.
Got underripe avocados? Leave them at room temperature, or speed things up by placing them in a paper bag with a banana or apple.