Avocados will stay fresh for 28 days if kept with 1 simple kitchen item in unexpected area

Avocados are notorious for their short shelf life, requiring precise timing to enjoy them at their peak ripeness. Once they reach this stage, the challenge is to keep them fresh for as long as possible. The moment you cut into an avocado, the countdown begins. If left exposed for too long, it will lose its vibrant green hue.

While a browned avocado might still be edible, it certainly doesn't make for an appealing guacamole or avocado toast. However, if stored correctly, avocados can stay fresh for longer than you might expect, says Amy Cross, a food storage expert and author of The Cross Legacy blog. In a , Amy shared two tips on how to store avocados - one for halved avocados and another for whole ones.

For a halved avocado, Amy advised: "An avocado cut in half with a metal lid will stay fresh for about a week after you cut it."

As for whole avocados, while most recommend keeping them on the counter, she claimed that they can stay fresh for up to 28 days when stored with lemons in the fridge drawer.

Amy explained: "If you store whole avocados in your crisper drawer with a lemon, they will stay fresh for a month from when you first buy them."

Crisper drawers, also known as humidity drawers, are situated at the bottom of your fridge and are specifically designed for storing fresh produce, providing a more humid environment than the rest of the refrigerator.

When used correctly, these drawers can help keep your fruits and vegetables fresher for longer periods.

So, why should you store avocados with lemons? It turns out that the ethylene gas released by citrus fruits can slightly delay spoilage, helping your avocados stay fresher for longer.

If you're craving avocado toast but your avocado isn't ripe yet, there's a way to speed up the ripening process.

Simply place your avocado with some fruits or vegetables that emit ethylene, a gas known to hasten ripening.

You can pair your avocado with an apple or banana in a brown bag, or simply place the avocado under bananas in your fruit bowl.