This easy trick will help keep your avocados longer

As much as I enjoy spring, there is always one downside to it: it signals the end of avocado season. And while I love these green, creamy fruits I can’t justify paying the exorbitant prices charged once they go out of season and need to be imported.

A little trick I’ve recently started using to keep my avos for longer is to simply freeze them. They might not be as firm once they’ve defrosted but they’re better than having no avos!

HOW TO FREEZE YOUR AVOS

Instead of freezing whole avocados, it works better if you cut, or even mash, them. I peeled, removed the pit and sliced mine, placed them on a tray with baking paper in the freezer and as soon as they froze I transferred them to a glass container. Just make sure the container you use seals properly to avoid freezer burn.

If you have a ziplock bag you can transfer and freeze them directly but they might stick together, making it difficult to remove a few slices at a time.

Puréed or mashed avocado can be placed in individual containers to ensure small portions that can be used for one serving.

USING YOUR FROZEN AVOS

Defrosting your avos shouldn’t take very long. Mashed avocado might take longer to thaw than slices but you can allow at least an hour to defrost at room temperature.

Your thawed avos might brown quickly once they’re exposed to air. To avoid this, you can brush them with a little lemon juice before placing them in the freezer.

Once your avo has defrosted its texture will change slightly. Instead of a creamy consistency, it will be more watery and mushy. This means avo that’s been frozen isn’t ideal to use in salads but will work mashed up on toast, in a smoothie, a dressing or in guacamole. Adding other ingredients might mask the watery consistency of the avo though I still find it delicious mashed up on a slice of toast.

You can go a step further and take your experimentation to the next level by making an avo hair mask or a few vegan avo, coconut and cocoa popsicles.

This article first appeared on the Sunday Times Lifestyle section.