The inside of my refrigerator is starting to look like one big lab experiment. I seem to have developed an obsession with putting things in jars. There’s a batch of Mark Bittman’s easy kimchi, several jars of Three Pepper Jelly, some sliced variegated pink lemons marinating in honey, several different types of tsukemono (Japanese pickles) slowing aging their way to perfection, and finally, my fourth batch of pickled avocados. Nope, you didn’t read that wrong: pickled avocados. And although I may be jar obsessed, this was not the reason that I went down the path of avocado pickling.
Nope. I pass all culpability for that path choice to the California Avocado Commission, who, upon seeing my obsession with putting things in jars on my Instagram feed, asked if I had ever pickled avocados. The answer was no, but they had pushed the start button on my wheels of thought, and I knew that I was going to have to try out avocado pickling. If eggs can be pickled, why not avocados? In short, I became obsessed, and here we sit, four batches and four different pickling brines later.
For the first brine I tried rice vinegar, which I thought would be a natural fit, since I love sprinkling rice vinegar on slices of fresh, ripe avocado. Nope, not even close. The natural sweetness of the vinegar turned to cloying sweetness during the pickling process. For the second brine I used apple cider vinegar, which was better, but it was lacking in the “oomph” department and tasted a bit muddied with the creamy avocado. For the third brine I went with a plane white vinegar and things started to click. But the brine was too sweet. Finally, on the fourth batch I went with a simple white vinegar, water, and salt brine. The verdict? I wish I had started with that first! When in doubt, keep it simple, right?
By the fourth brine, I had also learned the optimal time to pickle an avocado—when the fruit is on the firm side, slightly too firm to eat plain, and the pit is a bit hard to remove, but the fruit still cuts and peels without any problem. I used Fuerte avocados, which peel beautifully.
To pickle avocados, once you’ve got those perfectly slightly ripe, yet still firm, Fuerte avocados, all you have to do is heat some white vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan on the stove until the mixture comes to a boil. Then you cut your avocados in half, remove the pits, peel the halves, then cut the halves into chunky pieces, which you then fill a glass quart jar with. Finally, you pour the boiling into the quart jar, over the avocados, let the brine cool, then put a lid on them and stick them into the refrigerator to marinate for a couple of days before using them.
Another very important thing to note is that if you have any fellow avocado lovers around when you are in the middle of pickling avocados, make sure that you have extra fruit on hand to help placate them. If someone were to tell me that those avocados they were cutting up couldn’t be eaten for another few days, I’d be grumpy too!
“Why pickle an avocado?” you may be thinking. If you happen to be lucky enough to have a surplus of avocados, then pickling several of them is a great way to prolong their shelf-life. The longest I’ve kept a batch of pickled avocados so far is two weeks. At the two week mark the avocados are a more muted green in color, and softer than when I pickled them, but have not yet turned into mush. Right now I’m still exploring the uses for pickled avocados, but as of today I know that I like them in salads, on toast, and in a yet-to-be-revealed third application, which you’ll have to patiently wait to discover as a topping on pizza! But for now, with March being the official kick-off of the peak California avocado season, let’s rejoice in our native Green goddesses and revel in the creamy perfection that is the California avocado.
Pickled Avocados
Makes 1 quart jar
3 medium avocados
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon non-iodized sea salt, or kosher salt
1. Cut the avocados in half, and remove the pits, then carefully peel away the skin from the fruit. Cut the avocados into large chunks and gently pack them into a clean glass quart jar.
2. Combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Pour the brine over the avocados in the jar. Wipe any vinegar spills from the jar rim with a clean towel or paper towel and gently screw the lid onto the jar.
4. Let the jar sit until it has cooled down. Once the jar is fairly cool, it should be put into the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating to give the flavors time to meld. The avocados will keep, tightly sealed in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.
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I really hope to try this. I love avocado and I’m willing to try any variation of it. What a wonderful way to extend the life of it.
Inventive! I must try this!
Your pioneer ancestors would be very proud of this innovation. Well done. Now, where’s my bottle?
So happy the California Avocado Commission “pushed the start button” on your “wheels of thought”, Rachael! This is life-changing…must pickle avos ASAP! Nom, nom! Um, that third application? I vote for pizza! xo
Love! I am definitely going to make this. Did you experiment at all with spices? Coriander or red pepper flake perhaps?
Yes! Both coriander and red pepper are divine! I find that a light hand is required, however, as the flavor of the avocado is easily overwhelmed.
So very intriguing indeed. You might have just started a whole new avocado food trend! This might even be good with pasta. Can’t wait to see what you do with them.
Yes! This is pretty cool! I love avocado in all their forms. I used to freeze slices of avocado for my quick veggy sandwiches or for salads. I will sure try your recipe too.
I collect avocado skins and want to dye some yarn and fiber with them later on. The color should be quite pretty – dusty pink.
I am intrigued by using the avocado skins to dye yarn! I’d love to see pictures.
Just tried some of the pickled avocados. Very good. Would be great in a salad, on a sandwich. A great way to extend the life of avocados when you have too many to eat at one time.
Wow, this sounds amazing! I will have to try it soon!
I’m an avocado fiend and this is perfect!! Your fujilings are too cute, always put a smile on my face!
what an interesting concept. Once I have avocado surplus, will try it out :)
Bug’s hair is getting so long! Love this idea of pickling one of my favorite fruits!
Do I pour the bine into the jar HOT and close it or do I leave the lid off until cool?
@Milo — Yep, pour the brine in as soon as it is done (so yes, it will definitely still be hot). It’s up to you whether or not you close it first or leave the lid off to cool. I put the lids on mine immediately, on all of my test batches, without any problems.
As soon as the grocery stores STOP carrying only avocados from Mexico, and not USA, I will buy them and try this.
I’m so intrigued. I’m not sure I’m totally convinced, but I LOVE avocados, and if there’s any way to make them stay fresh longer, I’m all for it.
Question: how does the pickling affect the taste? the texture? I’m sure they must taste different after the pickling?
Looking forward to hearing about your “yet-to-be-revealed third application” soon!
Just noticed that this blog post was way back in March, which means your third application has surely been posted already. Good excuse for me to look through more of your blog. :)
Oh My Gawd. I love you! I couldn’t wait to try these out and just made my first batch. They look and smell amazing – I love anything with avocados and I can’t wait for these to marinate so my husband and I can try them. Thank you for the recipe – I reblogged on my site with a link to your blog. So excited to try them in a muffuletta lettuce wrap I’m making for dinner tomorrow night!
Aaaaw, thanks for the love! So happy you made them!
Brilliant!!!
I cannot WAIT to do this!
Thank you, from one avo-enthusiast to another =0)
Yay, I’m so glad! I must say, doing the recipe development on this one was triple the fun…it’s always a party when avocados are involved, isn’t it?
I just found this recipe on Pinterest. Brilliant!!! I can hardly wait to try this. One question though, even if the jars and avocados are room temperature I’ve always been told you shouldn’t pour hot water in because the jars could break. Do you think this would be something I should be concerned about?
Our family has been using various size Mason jars for our drinking glasses for years. I have had exactly ONE glass break after pouring in boiling water in these years. So, to answer your question, yes, the jar could break but it rarely does.
I bake rum cakes in mason jars and never had one brake from the heat. I have a avacado tree in my yard and can’t wait to try this.
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I was recently visiting Minneapolis and happened upon a restaurant named “Mission”. Their lunch menu featured seared ahi tuna tacos topped with pickled avocados, and they were delicious! Just a hint for another application for these. :) I found your recipe while trying to pin down how they did it to try it at home. (ps – I suspected that theirs may have been pickled in rice vinegar, but I’m not totally sure. It worked well, whatever they’d done).
I’m the founder/moderator for Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a community site for those of use obsessed with, er, interested in DIY food. It’s sort of like Tastespotting, but specific to the niche. I’d love for you to submit this to the site. Good stuff!
can i use kéfir whey instead vinegar?
This is the first time I have ever seen this done. Very interesting. I love avocados. I didn’t see any comments on using them for guacamole after they have been pickled. I guess that would be too much vinegar? What’s the verdict there? Do the avocados need to be pretty firm to pickle also?
Novice Cook here I tried it very simple. They taste amazing and you save money by not throwing them out. I mash a scetion of it. I cut it into 8 long slices. And I but it on sandwhiches and use it in salads for lunch . Thanks for sharing. Probably would be good in a caesar/bloody Mary ;)
if jars have a good seal, couldn’t these be held for at least six months
I made these and fell in love! I made a few batches with lime juice instead of vinegar and Oh My Goddess! Talk about heaven! Thank you thank you!
Had no idea one could pickle avocados and will try this season which looks to be a bumper crop. Wish they kept longer than two weeks.
Wonder if you could use pickle crisp to help maintain the texture?
I’m not sure, since the avocado doesn’t have a skin that you leave on during pickling and has a much higher fat content…but it would certainly be an interesting experiment!
Just made a batch. Patiently waiting…
I’ve seen this made on a Japanese Pinterest video. Served over rice… hmmm..
Have you ever tried Avo Atchar? We have lots of avo trees and I was thinking that if you can use raw mangoes for athar, why not firm avo?
Hi I eat advocados nearly every day.i like the idea of pickling them.i have two electric fowlers units as I bottle.( can) tomatoes.beetroot.fruit.lemons.relish. Corn.dill pickles.eggs.carrots.picallili. jams.figs.etc.i always seal them off in the unit around 45 mins.so I was wondering if i pickled advocado and then sealed said jars in fowlers unit they would have a longer life.worth a thought do you think?
I love avocados but they don’t like me! They give me painful gas/heartburn! Do you feel as though the fermentation process may lessen or remove this issue?
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