ANSWER: Avocados are the most difficult fruit. They seem to go from too hard to a big squishy mess before you know it. The trick is to check them regularly. As soon as they feel ripe (have a little give when gently squeezed) stick them in the refrigerator.

A hard avocado will ripen on your counter in four to five days. If you want it to ripen sooner, put it in a paper bag with an apple or banana. The gases released by the fruits speeds up ripening. If you have a ripe avocado that you want to last longer, put it in the refrigerator. Cold slows down the ripening — you are right not to store your hard avocados in the cold, because it may never ripen — but if it feels ripe, you can keep it in the fridge for up to three days.

As for the color, a little bit of browning may just be bruising, like any other fruit, you can cut these out and eat it without any issues. A little discoloration is normal but if it doesn’t taste right, throw it away.

DEAR READERS: All of that avocado talk reminded Sun Spots of an easy guacamole recipe. Now that some of the mystery is removed from how to keep avocados, why not pick some up and give this recipe a try:

Ingredients

2 avocados

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ripe tomato, chopped

1 lime, juiced

Salt and pepper

Optional: fresh cilantro and jalapeño

Peel and mash avocados in a medium bowl. Stir in onion, garlic, tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to eat, no longer than two days.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Lewiston High School Class of 1977 announces its 40th reunion, set for the weekend of Sept. 8 through 10, 2017. The reunion committee is working diligently on the details of what is sure to be a memorable weekend. Plans are currently being made for a Friday night mixer on Sept. 8, dinner and dancing on Sept. 9 and perhaps even a farewell brunch on Sunday, Sept. 10. A golf event is also being considered.

The reunion committee invites all Class of 1977 alumni to stop in and fill out a profile so they can be reached regarding the details of the 40th class reunion at: classreport.org/usa/me/lewiston/lhs/1977. Reunion announcements will be posted here first and all communication regarding the reunion details will be sent from this website. Please take a moment to log on and update your profile with a current email address. An email address is needed in order to receive all the details regarding the upcoming reunion. There are no fees and classreport.org pledges to never sell names and addresses to third parties and to let the website be administered exclusively by Lewiston High School alumni.

When you log on to the class website you will notice there are over 100 classmates who are still considered “missing.” That means that we do not have a phone number, mailing address or email address for them. If you know the whereabouts or have contact information for any of these classmates, please email Susan Fales Daniels at [email protected]. — Susan Fales Daniels, no town.

Use the QR code to go to Sun Spots online for additional information and links. This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can be emailed to [email protected], tweeted @SJ_SunSpots or posted on the Sun Spots Facebook page at facebook.com/SunJournalSunSpots. This column can also be read online at sunjournal.com/sunspots. We’ve joined Pinterest at pinterest.com/sj_sunspots.