Oprah Bought an Avocado Orchard Because Avocados Are Too Expensive—Here’s How You Can Save

Photo: Getty Images/J. Countess; Collage: Well+Good Creative
It is a tough time to be an avocado-lover these days. Shortages are leading to price surges and even Oprah can't deal. No, seriously. "I think it's ridiculous to pay for avocados," she proclaimed on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Her solution? Buy an orchard.

While her little story went from relatable to WTF real quick, she does make a good point. Why make yourself beholden to the rising prices when you can figure out your own ways to save on the fruit? Sure, you probably can't buy an avocado orchard—and unfortunately avocado trees take years to bear fruit after planting the pit—but there are some easy ways to save money on avocados without buying an avocado orchard. (You're welcome.)

1. Buy them on Wednesdays. This is the cheapest day to but avocados, according to data collected by Ibotta, a money-saving app. And the savings are considerable too—a whopping 25 percent!

2. Store already ripe avocados in the fridge to make them last longer. Knowing how to properly store your avocados mean fewer spoiled fruits end up in the compost heap. The best rule of thumb to follow is this: If your avocados aren't ripe yet, keep 'em out of the fridge. But if they are already soft and you aren't ready to eat them yet—so many avocados, so little toast—put them in the fridge to slow the ripening process down. Boom, avocado saved.

3. Or, freeze them. Sometimes you'll blessedly come across a major avocado sale (probably on a Wednesday), and you know you should stock up. Freezing the fruits for later is exactly what blogger Crystal Paine does. Scoop them out, throwing away the pits, and then storing the avocado meat in air-sealed freezer bags. They'll stay fresh until you're ready to eat later, like during the next inevitable shortage.

Here's the verdict on if you need to wash your avocados before eating them. Plus, five surprising avocado facts to wow your friends with over brunch.

Loading More Posts...