The avocado is a delicate fruit. It's either too hard or too soft, and just when it's reached the perfect vibrant green color and creamy texture ... poof! It's suddenly brown and mushy — until now!
That's because a new avocado that claims to stay ripe for twice as long as regular ones is now available at Costco (right alongside those Cotton Candy grapes shoppers are wild about) and Harps Food Stores throughout the Midwest region.
It's called the Apeel avocado and is the brainchild of Apeel Sciences, which creates "plant-derived coatings that fresh food growers, suppliers and retailers use to keep produce fresh," according to the company.
Apeel (also the name of the plant-derived material applied to the exterior of the avocado as a protective layer) is made "specifically from lipids and glycerolipids, that are naturally in the peels, seeds, and pulp of fruits and vegetables that we eat," a representative told TODAY Food.
"The coating is plant-based, and compatible with use on produce," NBC News health and nutrition editor Madelyn Fernstrom told TODAY Food.
The company spent six years developing the coating with the ultimate goal of reducing food waste. In the US, research shows more than 400 pounds of food per person is thrown out, which ends up costing the average family of four $1,800 a year.
"Any way to reduce food waste is a good idea and with avocados — or any fruits — extending the edible life is a great idea," said Fernstrom. "If the added coating can extend the edible window of an avocado by a few days, it’s a win for consumers and companies alike!"
Now that this very important avocado innovation is here, it's time bring on the guacamole!