An avocado chart showing how to pick a ripe fruit by color posted by a Reddit user has gone viral on the web, with more than 40 thousand upvotes in just one day since the picture was uploaded. The massive response to the simple chart indicates the skyrocketing level of interest in avocados.
Avocado Craze: Consumption in United States Surges
Avocados are all the rage these days, with no signs of slowing down. In the past 15 years, annual consumption of the fruit in the United States has grown by leaps and bounds, from around 2 pounds per person to more than 7 pounds. Availability, taste, and health benefits have all contributed to the surge. Apple's recent iOS 10.2 update reflected the craze by adding an avocado to its selection of available emoji.
As more and more consumers look to purchase the healthy green fruit as a diet staple, they are eager to make sure they know how to pick a ripe one. If an avocado is not ripe, it can be hard, chewy and unpleasant to eat. If an avocado is overripe, it can be too mushy inside and turn from a pleasant green color to an ugly brown.
'How To Pick' Color Chart Indicates Avocado Ripeness
As the popularity of avocados increases, buyers are now seeking new ways to determine their ripeness when purchasing them at the supermarket. In that regard, a simple color chart printed on the sticker of an avocado purchased by a Reddit poster has unexpectedly gone viral . The sticker shows three varying shades of an avocado, each of which indicates the varying levels of ripeness - "not ripe," "firm ripe," and "soft ripe," and the corresponding colors that match.
The post has become so popular that it received more than 40 thousand upvotes on Reddit after one day, with almost 1,000 reader comments. Many of the commenters are grateful for the posted easy "how to pick" color chart system, but others refute its validity.
Some Commenters Dispute 'How To Pick' Chart Validity
Specifically, many commenters have stated that while the "how to pick" color chart is a good initial guide to choosing a ripe avocado, it simply isn't accurate. Many state that even avocados that exhibit the darkest color on the chart, which indicates a "soft ripe" fruit, actually may still have not ripened yet. They maintain that the only way to accurately assess the ripeness of an avocado is to softly press on the fruit. If the avocado is hard, it is not yet ripe, while if the tester feels a slight give, it is ripe and ready to be eaten. If the pressure reveals too much give, the avocado is likely overripe and should be avoided.
