Too slow to ripen or too squidgy and brown inside, avocados often end up contributing to the UK’s food waste mountain. But Tesco believes it has the answer to our avocado woes: frozen ones, de-stoned, peeled and ripe when they thaw out.

On sale from this weekend, in what is believed to be a first for a UK supermarket, the frozen avocados will also be cheaper than the fresh fruit at £2.50 for nine halves.

The rise and rise of the avocado in the UK – from a niche dinner party darling of the ‘70s to a mainstream food – has been attributed partly to improved flavour as well as packaging innovations to prolong freshness.

Marianne Aitken, frozen producer buyer at Tesco, which already sells a giant avocado variety dubbed Avozilla, said: “Customers have told us that they often struggle with fresh avocados at home as they go off very quickly which can result in food waste. They can also be a bit messy to prepare so we’ve not only frozen, but also peeled and halved them so they’re ready to use in salads, guacamole and even smoothies.”

The trend for juicing and smoothie making – which has led to soaring sales of ready-prepared frozen fruit – could make the frozen avocado a popular ingredient.

But the government’s waste advisory body Wrap says stone fruit, including avocados, trigger approximately 54,000 tonnes of food waste a year, of which 32,000 tonnes is avoidable.

Supermarkets have been criticised for exacerbating food waste through exacting cosmetic standards and not making enough effort to donate unsold food in a recent BBC TV programme presented by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The chef and campaigner’s ‘Waste Not” petition has since attracted nearly 250,000 signatures.

Wrap director Dr Richard Swannell said: “We welcome the use of innovative technology and new approaches in helping tackle food waste – in the home and the supply chain. While we do not advise consumers to freeze whole avocados at home as it can impair their texture, the adoption of ‘fast freezing’ of avocados by the supplier [as Tesco is doing] is a very different process.”

Emma Marsh, head of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign added: “Avocados can be tricky to keep at peak perfection, but to keep them fresher for longer leave the stone in the half you don’t need and it will stop it from going brown as quickly. A squeeze of lemon will also help.”