This Simple Storage Tip Keeps Guacamole From Turning Brown
No special products (or much effort whatsoever) required!
Most Southerners have a go-to pre-dinner snack. It could be anything from deviled eggs to cheese dreams to gold old pepper jelly and cream cheese on crackers. At my parents’ house, and at my house, it’s guacamole and chips. Though we rarely have leftovers, I've always wondered how to keep guacamole from turning brown so I can enjoy it a little longer, and my mom introduced me to a storage trick that works shockingly well.
How To Make Guacamole
There is no official family guacamole recipe—it’s just ripe avocado smashed with a fork in a bowl with plenty of fresh lime juice and a little salt stirred in. That’s it. Sometimes I might add chopped cilantro or diced onion and jalapeño pepper, but the base recipe is as simple as it gets. Opening the bag of tortilla chips requires more effort, which is probably why this is our go-to appetizer.
How To Keep Guacamole From Turning Brown
The other night, Mom and I were cleaning up the remnants of dinner, which included guacamole and chips, of course. As she efficiently packed away leftovers (aren’t moms the best?), she scooped the last few spoonfuls of guac into a plastic container, closed the lid, then placed the container upside down in my refrigerator. She noticed I was watching her and said, “I read somewhere that this will keep it fresh longer, and it does!”
How Long Did My Guacamole Stay Green?
I’ve read dozens of tips on keeping guacamole and avocados from turning brown, but I’d never seen this one before. So I resisted eating the leftover guac and instead looked at it as a science experiment. After a day, it appeared exactly the same as when I first served it and tasted the same too. After the second day, I noticed a bit of browning, but nothing that couldn’t be stirred away or scraped off. It tasted fine, too. By the third day, it was starting to turn past its prime.
Guacamole doesn’t last longer than a day (if that) in our house, so the idea of three-day-old guac is almost impossible for me to comprehend. Imagine the self-control you'd have to have! But if you know how to keep guacamole from turning brown for another day or two without having to buy a gadget, or cover it with water (yuck), or any other hack you might have read about, this method requires nothing but a flip of the leftover container. Moms really are the best.
Tips For Keeping Guacamole Green
In addition to the upside-down airtight container method, there are a few other ways to keep guacamole from turning brown. Each storage tip limits the amount of air that comes into contact with the guacamole, as air exposure leads to oxidation and the green avocado turning brown.
- Use a spatula to smooth the surface of your guacamole. The fewer air pockets, the better.
- Cover the surface of the guacamole with a thin layer of lemon or lime juice. Citrus juice helps prevent oxidation.
- Press plastic wrap into the surface of the guacamole to create an airtight seal. Place a lid on the storage container to make a layered barrier, keeping your guac as green as possible for as long as possible.
Frequently asked Questions
Can you eat brown guacamole?
While brown guacamole or avocado doesn't look the most appealing, it's safe to eat if you've stored it in the refrigerator and it isn't more than three days old.
How can you tell if guacamole has gone bad?
If your leftover guacamole has brown liquid pooling at the surface and/or the layers beneath the surface are no longer vibrant green, it's time to throw it away.
