1. Color: Go for avocados with dark green or almost black skin, but remember, color isn't everything. 2. Firmness: Gently squeeze the avocado. If it yields slightly, it's ripe. If it’s too firm means it's not ready, and too soft might be overripe. 3. Stem: pop off the stem. If it comes off easily and you see green underneath, it's good to go. If it's hard to remove or brown underneath, it may not be ripe.