Ripen Avocados Faster With a Paper Bag
Avocados (like bananas, apples, and tomatoes) are climacteric fruit — they keep ripening after being picked by producing ethylene gas, which triggers the enzymes that soften flesh and break down chlorophyll. A paper bag traps that ethylene around the fruit instead of letting it dissipate, speeding ripening from most of a week down to a couple of days; adding a banana, which produces even more ethylene, speeds it up further. Once ripe, refrigerating slows the process down if you need to buy a few extra days.
Sources & methodology: These tips draw on established food-science references —
Harold McGee's food-science writing, America's Test Kitchen /
Cook's Illustrated testing, Serious Eats'
technique reporting, USDA food safety guidance,
and peer-reviewed food-safety research (including UC Davis
cutting-board studies) — not reworded recipe-blog consensus.