Picking a ripe avocado

Also, you can preserve them in the fridge when you are sure they are ripe enough. I've kept them in their window of perfection for up to a week or more easily.

Even cut in half, you can save them in the fridge for a few days in tupperware or saran wrap. Whatever will keep air off of the flesh. You'll find that the flesh will start to turn brown, but if you scrape off a thin layer the stuff underneath is perfectly fine.

Nice tip!

I can usually tell by squeezing but every now and then I get an unpleasant surprise.

Lemon juice helps when you want to keep a cut one in the refrigerator.

And reminds me of one of my favorite snacks/ lunches -- fresh avocado on good bread with fresh lemon juice squeezed on top. Yum.

The discoloration in that image is deceiving. Here's what ripe avocado pulp looks like:

Yum indeed! Thanks for the tip on the lemon juice, sozobe. I did not know that. Do you just sprinkle a bit on the exposed parts? I'll have to try that.

Also that is a MUCH better picture than the one I found. I completely agree, that color is perfect. Thanks!

Yep, just sprinkle a bit. Good in salads too, if you prepare them well before they're meant to be eaten (avocado browns pretty fast).

Leaving the pit in helps too.

Oh, and I just learned this trick a coupla weeks ago -- a great way to get the pit out. Just take the knife you used to cut the avocado lengthwise, and kinda machete-cut the pit. (The knife doesn't have to go in far, 1/8 of an inch maybe at the deepest.) Then twist the knife sideways -- clockwise or counter-clockwise. The pit pops right out.

Ahh the mark of a true pro there, I have yet to master that trick with the pits. I'll plant the knife in the pit and I can never get enough leverage to twist it out.

I'll use the tip of the knife and spear the pit right at the point where it rises out of the half it is imbedded in. Then just push the knife down using the edge of the avocado as leverage.

I go back to trying your trick and I just must be doing something wrong (haha).

And I agree that leaving the pit in does seem to help preserve the half you want to keep in the fridge.

I'll have to try some lemon juice on the next half I try to save. Very cool!

We may have talked about this before on a2k. I seem to remember a) pit in isn't that much help - but maybe I remember incorrectly, and b) the key is to put the cellophane as close as possible to the exposed avocado.

Now I'll do a search and see if I can find that.

I admit that I didn't search very hard to see if there was already a thread on this. My apologies if I doubled up!

My recipe/technique for easy guacamole:

Any number of ripened avocados
Black pepper, fresh ground if possible
Salt
Salsa (optional)
Normal white vinegar (optional)

I didn't put any amounts in there and I hope no ones minds. I never measure when I make guacamole, and just go by taste. I will give suggestions so you can gauge for yourself.

First thing you want to do is get a mixing bowl big enough to fit your desired amount. A good amount to start with would be 1 avocado per person.

You'll need a sharp knife and a normal tea, or table spoon also.

Cut the avocados in half like you see in Butrflynet's post and remove the pit. I usually just use the point of the knife to spear the pit and pop it out using the edge of avocado for leverage. If you're are really cool, try sozobe's technique. I am really bad at it personally and not from lack of effort. <grin>
The pits are very slippery so I recommend doing this over the trash or you might find yourself chasing the pit all over the kitchen floor!

Next take your spoon and scoop out the flesh. It seems to work best if you can use a spoon that doesn't have a deep curve or bowl on the business end. I'll look for a spoon where the curve closely matches the curve of the avocado.
Now you just spoon out the flesh from the tough skin. You might want to flip the fleshy part over and scrape any extra fiber or small bruises off just to clean them up a bit. Sometimes this is not necessary at all.

Dump all the freshly scooped halves into your mixing bowl.

Now take your knife and start slicing and cutting the halves up into the smallest pieces you can. The idea here is that the fleshy part is pretty slippery and trying to just mash it up with a spoon is not easy. Using a knife will make things much easier.

Chop, chop, chop…

Okay now that you have these little bits you're ready to add the spice. I'll grind fresh pepper, and add my salt. For two avocados I'd guess maybe two teaspoons of both, that should be about right (but I like salty peppery stuff).

Honestly that is all you need, but you can add a table spoon (or more) of salsa, and a small amount, say a tea spoon of vinegar if you like but it is not necessary. This is where some personal experimentation will come in to see what you like. There are a whole host of spices that go good but I usually end up just taking the simple route of salt and pepper.

Mix in these spices and extras and start mashing it all together with your spoon. This will take a minute but since you've chopped up the pieces with a knife it's really easy. I usually mix until all the largest chunks are good and mashed. That's it! It's ready to go now.

I strongly recommend making this shortly before the meal. It does not save well at all. If left out you'll find it'll start to brown in a matter of a couple hours. You can save it in a container if you can push all the air out of it. If you do get little pockets of air the guacamole that is in those parts will brown and need to be scraped off. The rest should be fine though.

We can always use new avocado threads.

I found a nice thread, back in Jan 2006, and nothing about cellophane or leaving in or talking out the pit. But I admit I didn't look past that thread to whatever was listed next...


Anyway, I did find this -

http://www.avocado.org/about/fruit_selection.php

Cool, I was hoping you'd say that ossobuco

From that article:



I meant to include that, it is so true.

They also say you can only store them ripe in the fridge for a few days, and I am wondering why. I have kept them for almost two weeks ripe and had no problems. There may be something I am not aware of though.

Good stuff!

What can I do with an avocado?

ha ha ha, that thread is awesome. This really made me laugh:

AVOCADO & SOUR CREAM SCRAMBLED EGGS
AVOCADO & SOUR CREAM SCRAMBLED EGGS
An original recipe by BumbleBeeBoogie.
(My favorite Brunch recipe)

2 Tbsp. butter
4 large eggs
1 ripe avocado, mashed into small chunks
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup sour cream
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Whisk the eggs, salt and pepper together until blended.

In a medium size frying pan, melt the butter over low heat; add the green onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the egg, mashed avocado, and salt and pepper mixture. Stir constantly until the eggs just begin to set. Immediately add the sour cream to the egg mixture, stirring to blend over low heat until the egg mixture sets but is still moist. Take care that the scrambled eggs remain moist.

This is a wonderful brunch dish served with sides of bacon or ham and fresh fruit. Its especially good with my Finnish Limpa Bread toast. Serves 3 to 4 people.

Oh wow, that sounds fantastic! I will have to try that for sure. One of my favorite breakfasts is scrambled egg burritos which is right along those lines.

I scramble the eggs separate.
Chop up some onion really fine.
Halve an avocado and cut into slices
Heat up corn of flour tortillas on a flat griddle (no oil)

Once the tortillas have risen assemble and eat.

Sometimes I put shredded cheese and or sour cream in there and sometimes no.

If I really have time I'll saute mushrooms and onion, and then make scrambled or eggs over easy and mix it all together and add the avocado as the only cold ingredient.

I am definitely going to have to try that out, it sounds excellent.

(Just wanted to say welcome if I haven't yet, Hamal, I'm really enjoying your posts!) (Plus you called me a pro! <mists up> I'm still learning how to cook and am generally rather clueless, but avocados are a long-term love...)

Well that makes two of us for somewhat clueless cooks. There are a few things I can make well but I am still learning a lot myself.

I get requests from the family for my fajitas but so far it's my only hit. And they don't even like avocado! How can you do fajitas without avocado!? I'm still working on them. haha

Thank you for the welcome!