Can You Freeze Avocados?

Few Facebook posts have excited me more than a recent one claiming that avocados can be frozen whole and, once thawed, used just like fresh ones. This seemed like an answer to prayer. Could it be that I could make fresh guacamole anytime I wanted? Or avocado toast? Or my Cowboy Caviar dip? Could this fruit of the gods be available 24x7? 

I happened to have three avocados on hand last week. Two felt just ripe, so I put them in the freezer that same day. The third needed a day or two more to ripen, and it was at its peak just when I was making my Jicama and Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing, so I used it instead of freezing it. 

Fast forward a week, my two green jewels sitting quietly in the freezer. It was time to see if the hype was true. I set them out on the counter and let them thaw out naturally, as instructed. Then I cut into the first one. Argh, it must have been over-ripe when I froze it, because the pit was surrounded by a big brown spot. The whole thing was funky, so I attributed it to the over-ripening before freezing. 

I cut into the second one. The color was just right—bright yellow-green. This looked promising! Lovely color and no brown spots! But… but… but… the texture was all wrong. Instead of that soft-but-firm buttery texture, it was stringy, lumpy, and soggy. It tasted mealy and, well, soaked. It would never do for slicing or avocado toast or guacamole. I’m assuming it would still work in smoothies and anywhere else where is blended into other ingredients to add healthy fat and creaminess, but at that point I was too disappointed to try it.

Bottom line: Avocados lose their dense velvety texture when you freeze them. You definitely can’t get lovely slices and chunks from pre-frozen avocados. Can you make guacamole with frozen avocados? Some people claim to use mashed frozen avocado for guacamole, but I won’t be one of them.