Dying for guacamole, but avocados still days from being ripe? Put them in a paper bag and toss in a banana, apple or citrus fruit.

That’s because avocados — which are powerhouses of ethylene, a natural ripening hormone — ripen faster if placed in a paper bag. And they ripen even faster if you add another ethylene producer, such as a banana.

Summer is prime season for this fruit that Americans have come to love. They consume roughly 3 1/2 pounds of avocados annually, more than twice as much as a decade ago, according to federal data.

Avocado Fries

Ingredients:

Canola oil, for frying

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese-style) breadcrumbs

2 firm-ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges

Directions:

Heat the oven to 200 degrees.

In a saucepan over medium-high, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil until it reaches 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.

Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl whisk together the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Place the eggs in a second shallow bowl and the panko in a third.

One wedge at a time, dredge the avocados through the flour, shaking off any excess, then through the egg and finally through the panko. Set the wedges aside in a single layer.

A quarter of the avocado wedges at a time, fry until deep golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer the wedges to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Transfer the drained fries to an oven-safe plate and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining wedges. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

— Recipe from the April 2009 issue of Sunset magazine