If you have bought "ripen at home" avocados , you might find that they are not ripe enough for the day when you really need them for a recipe . So, for those unripe avocados out there in the kitchen, what's the quickest way to ripen them so they don't go to waste? A two-minute food hack reportedly ripens hard avocados – and it could be just what you need. Taste of Home magazine noted that all you need is two spare minutes to hand and a working microwave.

But there's a catch; this trick only works for avocados that are nearly ripe, not ones that are rock-solid hard. How to ripen an avocado in two minutes Firstly, slice the avocado in half and remove the pit, then wrap each half in microwave-safe cling film. Next, pop the avocado in the microwave on a high heat for two minutes, then let the fruit cool down.

While still wrapped in the plastic, run the halves of avocado under cold water to stop them from cooking further. Unwrap the avocados and use them however you like - whether that's as a sandwich filler, in salads, guacamole, or for tacos. Unfortunately, if your avocados are extremely hard and currently inedible, this two-minute hack simply won't work.

But Taste of Home has shared a budget-friendly trick for ripening a very hard avocado. All you need is the avocado, an apple, a paper bag and anywhere from one to 72 hours. Simply place the avocado in the paper bag with an apple, poke several holes in the bag using a toothpick or pin, then leave it at room temperature.

Apples.