This is the one unusual kitchen ingredient that helps to keep avocados fresher for up to one week longer

The age-old question of the perfect time to eat your not-quite-ripe avocado is one that has been plaguing middle-class diners across the country for years.

If you're impatient you risk cutting into a solid green rock, but leave it too late and you're met by a browning, mushy, blob.

So when is the time right to dig in and serve up your beloved smashed avo for that all-important brunch date?

Fortunately, a vegetarian food connoisseur has revealed the ingredient they use to help keep avocados fresh even when they have started to turn.

Taesha Butler, a cook and founder of The Natural Nurturer website, which places a focus on vegetarian recipes, believes she has the perfect technique to ensure your avos last a week longer.

Avocados have become an extremely popular foodstuff in recent years - and are often used in conjunction with jibes at millennials due to their love of the fruit (File image)

While consumption levels may differ between age groups, there is one frustrating thing about avocados many people struggle with: the food's propensity to brown and spoil alarmingly quickly (File image)

Ms Butler said: 'Brush the exposed flesh with a little olive oil. This will create a barrier between the flesh and air, slowing down browning. I find a pastry brush is perfect for the job,' per The Express.

She said the method should be used for avocados that have already been opened, by helping to seal the skin, which reduces the quantity of oxygen that is able to reach the fruit.

Adding a layer of oil to an opened avocado also helps them to retain moisture, which makes them less likely to go rotten.

After brushing the avocado with olive oil, its freshness can be preserved by wrapping it in clingfilm and storing it in an airtight container in the fridge where it can last up to a week longer than normal.

These steps help to keep the tasty item fresh by reducing the amount of air the fruit is exposed to, which will help it stay green for longer.

However, if you have bought a whole avocado, do not brush it in olive oil unopened, as it should be allowed to ripen at room temperature, after which it can be stored in the fridge.

The snack will stay fresh for longer in the fridge, but needs to be allowed to ripen first in order to develop its flavour.

Once an avocado is stored in the colder temperature of a fridge, its ripening process will stop completely, meaning they could become bitter if you do not allow them to ripen before attempting to preserve them.

Adding a layer of oil to an opened avocado also helps them to retain moisture, which makes them less likely to go rotten (File image)