Frozen Avocado is diced avocado that is frozen when it turns ripe. These frozen avocado chunks are popping up in grocery stores, can be used in a variety of recipes and is a great way to be able to make guacamole on a whim.
Learn how to thaw avocado from the freezer, what the texture of ‘frozen’ guacamole looks like, tastes like and discover other ways to use it.
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Frozen Avocado
When I first saw frozen avocado chunks at Costco, my initial reaction was “This is weird”. I think due to the fact that avocado browns so quickly once cut open. But the price was good (around $10 for a few lbs) and in an attempt to nourish my family’s bodies with healthy fats as easy as possible, I grabbed a bag.
“What the heck, how bad could it be?! It’s a fruit at the end of the day, I always buy frozen fruit!“
Frozen chunks of avocado are “washed, peeled, diced and ready to use”. That’s their beauty! I thought I can have guacamole any time now. It’s perfect!
No more hunting stores not for a brick hard or mushy ready for compost avocado, but for perfectly ripe avocado I need ASAP, like an hour ago. No more waiting 3-4 days for an avocado to ripen. No more brown avocados in the garbage. No more guacamole with brownish spots I have to explain to the kids. No more “disappearing” avocado – you know that avocado you have been waiting for 3 days, just to find out your husband turned it into an avocado toast earlier that morning?!
Perfect!
Why Frozen Avocado Guacamole Works?
- Avocado is always ready to use.
- No need to wash, peel or dice (although if you follow these steps, your fresh ripe avocado is ready to use within minutes!)
- When you add salt and garlic, making guacamole with avocado that is frozen tastes almost as good as fresh!
- If you are a regular smoothie drinker, having a bag on hand in the freezer is a great way to amp up your smoothie nutritional content.
Making Guacamole with Frozen Avocado
How to Thaw
First, you have to thaw the avocado chunks. For about an hour on the counter. I wouldn’t microwave it. You just have to plan 1 hour ahead but hey, that’s better than 4 days, right?!
I repeat: don’t microwave it, it does not taste good and results in an odd texture.
It looks completely “normal” once thawed due to the addition of citric acid added when frozen (this is akin to squirting your fresh avocado with lemon or lime juice to retain color).
Texture
I think it’s important to buy Haas avocado which is the best kind. It mashed very easily, just like perfectly ripe avocado. Like with any frozen fruit, some kinds and brands can freeze under ripe avocados (I made a fair share of smoothies with green mango and sour pineapple), so if that’s the problem you run in, try another brand.
Guacamole
Here is our guacamole recipe we like – mashed avocado with some chunks, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Basic, easy, simple and the best! There are so many variations of guacamole, do what you usually do with yours. Although don’t try salsa guacamole with frozen avocado, that didn’t taste good. You may like to try it in Greek yogurt guacamole!
Once cilantro, garlic and salt “met” thawed avocado for guacamole, it tasted 90% normal (but I’m a biased Ukrainian who thinks garlic makes everything taste better). It also didn’t brown much and leftovers stayed quite normal green colour for 36 hours. Sign me up!
My Frozen Avocado Review
Thawed frozen chunks of avocado taste a little bit different than fresh. Their texture is smoother and more oily. There is a bit of an after taste. So, I wouldn’t eat them on their own. I also tried adding frozen avocado to a vegetable soup and that wasn’t a “wow” experience either. I think they would be good in smoothies (if you like avocado in a smoothie), salads (if you like it mashed into salad), desserts (like an avocado pudding or milkshake) and any other dishes with a strong spice and herbs presence. Using it on avocado toast is another way we have heard it works, of course, only when you add some seasoning or hot sauce as well. Seems like the best use of avocado that is frozen is to use it when you are able to mask that your avocado has been frozen.
I will definitely keep a bag of freezer avocado on hand to make guacamole for an unexpected company on a Friday night (when you are just too tired to cook any fancy appy, and don’t want to eat junk) and for hot summer days.
Have you ever tried frozen avocado?
FAQs
Yes, it can for 4 – 6 months. Similar to frozen chunks or slices, texture might adjust after thawed and you may want to add a touch of lime or lemon to retain color.
This fruit is popping up in a lot of store to purchase these days! You can find it near the frozen fruit. I bought mine at Costco, so can only speak to how Costco brand can be used. Other brands now carrying avocado that is frozen include Welch’s and Dole. Store brands I have heard of are Aldi’s and Walmart Great Value.
It’s easy to freeze, just slice, dice or chunk your fresh ripe avocado (use our easy cutting method) and brush lightly with citrus. Wrap in freezer safe plastic and store in a resealable bag.
Thaw on a plate or bowl on the countertop for an hour. Another method may be to place in a bowl of water overnight in the refrigerator, I have not tried that method.
Would definitely consider trying these for smoothies (creamy texture) & your guacamole recipe but… overall I prefer fresh avocados to use in other dishes made – especially salads.
Do you have an actual recipe for the guacamole? Thank you
Here you go!
https://ifoodreal.com/greek-yogurt-guacamole/
Don’t believe the hype. I have owned avocado trees for years. I have tried freezing them sealed in vacuum sealed bags. It doesn’t work. The consistency of the avocado is not the same if something about the oil in the avocado that makes it consistency very thin and watery. And the taste is not very good. I’ve even got avocados from Costco that were frozen same thing no good.
Rinse them off with some warm water before setting them in a bowl to thaw.
Most frozen avocado is coated with ascorbic acid and/or citric acid to prevent browning.
This is what causes the aftertaste mentioned in the article.
If you rinse with warm water, it will remove this coating and speed up the thawing process.
You might want to toss them with a little lemon or lime juice to prevent browning during the thaw. Or just keep the chunks submerged in a bowl of lukewarm water to retain color during the thaw.
I have been having avocado toast for over 80 years — way before it became a popular item. I have never thought to freeze them, but a anxious to give the frozen ones a try. Aldi’s has them this week for $2.99 for 10 oz. A perfect size to try.
Perfect! It’s like my grandma has been making bone broth before it became a superfood of a century haha.
When I was about 50, I started making my breakfast omelettes with vegetables. Over the last 20 years many variations have been made, but for the last few months, I’ve added avocados, salsa and sour cream (my cheap & easy guacamole). Today, I’m tried my first frozen avocados. I did everything everyone told me NOT to do. I did let the frozen avocados kind of thawed out, but I get hungry. I squashed them, added sea salt & pepper, then I nuked the 30 seconds. Then I added my salsa, with sour cream spread on top.
Put that together with the omelette and a hash brown. Everyone is right, fresh avocados taste better. However, the frozen avocados did very well in a pinch. It added an new flavor to the mix.
Yes, I agree.
Yes. Costco didn’t have them when I went to buy them again
Yes they are our right now seems to be.
I have frozen avocado for years! I just buy them when they are on sale, and scoop them out, put them in small pieces and freeze on a cookie sheet, and then gather them and store them all in a zip lock bag for exactly the purpose you wrote about…guacamole!! Can’t beat it!