Everything else is approximate.
Firm: bright uniform green, gives nothing when pressed with the palm. Needs 4–5 days at room temperature. Refrigerating at this stage stops the ripening process entirely.
Almost ready: the green begins to darken, gives slightly when pressed with the palm (use the palm, not a finger — a finger leaves a bruise). Leave 1–2 days. To speed it up, place it in a paper bag with a ripe banana — the ethylene the banana releases accelerates ripening noticeably.
Perfect: deep uniform colour, gives gently under palm pressure without sinking. The definitive test is the stem nub: ease off the small cap at the top of the stalk. If the flesh beneath is pale green, it is ready. If it is dark brown, it has already gone over.
Overripe: very soft, sinks under minimal pressure, sunken patches on the skin. The flesh inside will have brown streaks and a bitter taste. Still usable as a deep conditioning hair mask, but not for eating.
The stem nub test works because that area is the last part of the fruit to ripen. When the avocado reaches its peak, the cap lifts cleanly and the flesh beneath stays green. As it passes, oxidation moves upward from the base and reaches the stem, turning it brown.
A perfect avocado holds that window for around 24–48 hours. Either side of that, it has not yet arrived or it has already gone.
🥑 Four stages. One stem nub. No guessing.
