Vacuum Sealer: Preserving Avocados

[MBMorgan]

Looks like this works better than "paint with lime, hope for the best". docblonder could verify / deny, but with no oxygen, no oxidation, no black avocado. This could work well with getting a bunch of avocados, too many get ripe at once, bag some halves for later.

Anyone try sealing whole avocados when they are ripe? Just tossing them in the fridge is not the best.

I've never tried vac sealing whole avocados ... but it should work. Refrigerating will slow (or even stop) the ripening process and the vac sealed bag should protect against dehydration in the fridge. I'd say give it a try ... and, as docblonder suggests, it might be worthwhile to rinse under hot water to clean the skin then allow to dry before bagging.

[Polarbear777]

On an episode of good eats Alton claims that a bath in an immersion circulator (aka sous-vide machine) at for two hours at 40C inhibits the enzyme. Of course I tried this on similarly ripe avocados against a lemon juice one and an untreated control and many hours later, the decay was only slightly better with lemon. The immersion had no effect.

Wonder if there is any truth to this, as Alton’s "curious avocado experiments" episode is the only place I’ve been able to find this besides lab tests on specific enzymes.

If if you really could break the browning process with a SV machine that would simplify avocado life a lot. Has anyone else tried this?

[texastweeter]

avacados brown from oxidation. you can wrap tightly in cling wrap after brushing with lemon juice (antioxidant with the citric acid) for the same effect.

[Polarbear777]

. Commercially the flesh is briefly exposed to steam- the heat and moisture inactivates the polyphenol enzyme for more than a week, even if exposed to air!

This is what I was hoping we could achieve in. sV machine ala Alton Brown. Would need to know the temp and time to deactivate it without ruining the fruit. Doesn’t look like the 40C claimed on good eats does the trick.

[Polarbear777]

Also just found this discussion.

http://blog.ideasinfood.com/ideas_in_food/2008/06/avocado-tests.html