Here’s Why Costco’s Avocados Last Longer Than Others

Kiersten HickmanUpdated: May 04, 2022

Shutterstock / Brent Hofacker, Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Have you ever noticed Costco avocados lasting longer than other avocados? Well they do, and there's a scientific explanation!

As if Costco wasn’t enough of a magical place, the shelf life of their avocados will have you running to, well, the shelves. Thanks to the store’s recent collaboration with Apeel Sciences, the shelf life of Costco’s avocados has doubled. So you can finally make homemade guacamole without worrying about the timing of your recently purchased avocados.

Pro tip: Avocados typically last 4-7 days at room temperature. Here’s how long your fresh produce will keep.

How did they do that?

It’s all in the peel! Apeel Sciences has created a plant-based outer peel called Apeel that will extend the shelf life of multiple fruits and vegetables. The peel is made from lipids and glycerolipids—natural fats found in fruits and vegetables. The peel doubles the life of a food product by holding in the moisture inside the fruit or vegetable and keeping the extra oxygen out. The added oxygen is what spoils a food faster, so Apeel slows down the process by reducing oxygenation. (Here’s how to tell if an avocado is ripe.)

Is it safe to eat?

Apeel is perfectly edible. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it is fully compliant with their regulations and safe to eat. Though the peel can’t be washed off, it’s completely colorless, odorless, and tasteless—so you wouldn’t notice it after biting into an apple.

If you are to eat Apeel, the natural fats wouldn’t make much difference in your overall diet. Apeel Sciences states that if your diet consisted only of fruits and vegetables with Apeel, your daily caloric intake of fat coming from Apeel would be less than one calorie a day.

What is Apeel Sciences?

Apeel Sciences is fighting the war on food waste one peel at a time. Their plant-based peel is made with natural elements, instead of chemicals and preservatives, making their practices sustainable. According to their website, Apeel’s vision is for “a world where we work with nature—rather than against it—to create solutions to the world’s greatest challenges.” Their mission is to “help fresh food providers improve quality, reduce waste and ensure an abundant future for our planet.”

Apeel has products that are OMRI Listed for the growers and distributors of USDA Certified Organic produce. With this approval, they hope to provide their peel to more produce products in an effort to reduce the $2.6 trillion dollar food waste problem that the Food and Agriculture Organization deals with worldwide.

Does all of Costco’s produce have this magical peel?

At the moment, Apeel Sciences only offers Apeel for avocados at major U.S. grocery stores. Costco is one of them. However, the company does hope to make it available for dozens of other fruits and vegetables.

So if you’re the type of shopper who buys in bulk, grabbing avocados at Costco may not be a bad idea!

Make one of these 46 recipes with your avocados!

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Avocado Crab Boats These boats are wonderful with tortilla chips, beans or rice. You can also cover them, pack them on ice, and take them to a picnic or potluck. Straight from the oven or cold, they're always delicious. —Frances Benthin, Scio, Oregon Go to Recipe

Chicken Skewers With Cool Avocado Sauce Exps Dsbz17 37502 C01 13 4b 3

Chicken Skewers with Cool Avocado SauceI’m always looking for lighter recipes to take on tailgate outings—and this one works fabulously for grilling. Just whip up the marinade, add the chicken and take it along to the pregame festivities. —Veronica Callaghan, Glastonbury, Connecticut