[Strawberry]

The grocery store where we shop has just recently started selling avacados. Can anyone refer me to a link where I can learn how to choose a 'good' one? The avacados that the store sells are either a very dark green, almost black and also they sell green colored avacados.

Sometimes when I cut them open, even though they appear unblemished from the outside, - the flesh inside is not just green but brown too. Right now the price is reasonable, but in a few weeks they will be going for $1.25 each.

Thank you for any response.

 

[moon]

Avocados are best when they give slightly to the touch, but not too much otherwise they're potentially over-ripe. The haas avocado (that's the darker, rougher skinned one) does get a little darker with ripeness, but the touch test is the true indicator. They rarely look blemished from the outside (either the green or black).

Oh - and $1.25 each is still a good price! The other day, avocados in the local market here were (gulp) $2.50

 

[Carolina]

I buy Hass. I just feel them. if they give a little they are good. depends on what & when you want to use it./them.
soft ones can be made into dips etc right away. harder ones for slicing to put on salads etc.
I only buy one or 2 at a time. I use it right then & there.

Love avocados..

I pay .99

 

[Insulation Tim]

 

[Strawberry]

If the flesh inside has brown spots, does that mean the whole avacado is bad? The prices this past week were $.89 but maybe that meant they were overripe and hence the brown spots inside. In a few short weeks we will also be paying $2.50. In fact, at one point last Winter they wanted almost $3.00.

I like to make the faux chocolate pudding with avacados - hardly even spikes my blood sugar at all.

 

[Shanny]

I trim away the brown sections & use the green.

 

[Strawberry]

The 'brown' section on the two avacados that I tried to fix today was about 2/3 of the whole thing. What a disappointment because the outside seemed to be perfect - not too soft and not too firm.

 

[Shanny]

I know what you mean! Around here I've sensed that some stores take better care of their produce than others, so I get pretty picky about where I buy what. I wonder sometimes if their avocados get jostled & bumped around and perhaps even get a nip of frost. At any rate, if I buy five avocados for $1.50 each, and every darn one is half brown inside, I sure don't buy any more from that store!

 

[jwags]

Since they are so expensive I still use them if they have brown spots , just scoop around the bad spots. I buy them by the bag at Costco. I think there are 5 avacados for about $6-$7, so not cheap. In our grocery store theya are about $2 a piece or more. I try to buy them fairly firm and leave them on the counter to ripen. When they start to get soft when you press on them, then I put in the fridge and they will stay at that ripeness. I have kept them in the fridge for weeks and they are still good. Just don't put in the fridge when they are hard they will be terrible.

 

[Shanny]

Exactly how I treat 'em too, Jeanne. They ripen well left on the counter & when they're ripe, pop 'em in the fridge. If I want to hurry the ripening, I will seal them in a zip bag to allow the ethylene gas to build up & "gas" 'em.

 

[vcooper]

I love avocados! My local grocery sells little ones packaged in twos on a green mesh bag. No one else in my family will eat them so the little ones are just right for me. If I get a really good one,I will slice it up, add a little salt and eat the whole thing.

I did not know about being able to put them in the fridge. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Insulation Tim]

Interesting thing about avocados. As long as they are still on the tree, they will never ripen.

 

[Nachman]

We have a large Hispanic community here so avacados are cheap. I paid .67 the other day, but sometimes you can find them for 3/1.00. A couple of years ago I went to Mexico where I used to live and while there went to an open air market. I asked how much the avacados were. The lady said 2 for 10 pesos (almost a dollar). It had been a long time since I lived there so I figured there had been quite a bit of inflation. I said OK, Ill take two. The lady got a bag and started filling it up. I said "I just wanted the two." She said this is two, two kilos. I ate a lot of avacados that trip.

 

[naynay]

I just bought 3 avacados at the grocery store the other day and made guacamole dip for new year's eve. I think I'm about the only one who really eats it when I make it, but it was very good. I have about 1/4 of the dip left because I've been snacking on it since last night! When I buy them I choose ones that are slightly soft to the touch. Too soft and they are too ripe, too hard and they are not ripe enough. It all depends on when you plan on using them as well. I was planning on using right away, so I went with a slightly softer to the touch.

 

[Talon]

Avacado's Mmmm one of my favorite food.. Great for just a snack with some wheat crackers, sliced Avacodo,and Garlic powder and a pinch of cracked sea salt.

All have explained the squeeze correctly. Another sign of over ripe is a smokey smell, sorta like the smell of the Kitchen Bouquet liquid smoke additive.

Brown spots I scoop and cast away.Light brown I'll tend to use. Black spots all get thrown away.

Split avacados in half with kitchen knife (from stem side all the way down) Twist open at cut, carefully whack nut with knife blade and twist out seed. Scoop out contents with table spoon, smash,dice,or cut. No more peeling skins.

Fresh lime juice added to the "meat" avacado will prevent if turning brown

When making guacamole put 3 or 4 seeds into the serving bowl, it will prevent browning for a very long time.

Cottage cheese is my secrect ingredient for increasing the volume of guacamole

 

[Strawberry]

I've often thought about making guacamole but have not done so, because I'm afraid if I don't like it then I'm stuck with eating it anyway since they are now getting expensive here.

We do have several Hispanic markets here so maybe their stock is much fresher than the stock on the grocery where we normally shop.

Thank you Talon for your hints and for sharing your secret ingredient

 

[Nachman]

I have a very simple and authentic guacamole recipe. 2 avacados smashed. 1 tomato diced, 1/3 to 1/2 onion diced fine. 1 jalapeno cut in strips then minced. Stir it all together. If you aren't going to use it right away add a little lime juice, but I like it better without it.

 

[moon]

Oh, I love a little citrus in guacamole and prefer mine w/ lime - also cilantro and a bit of garlic.

That does it! On the prowl for cheap avocados tomorrow...

 

[Strawberry]

I have a very simple and authentic guacamole recipe. 2 avacados smashed. 1 tomato diced, 1/3 to 1/2 onion diced fine. 1 jalapeno cut in strips then minced. Stir it all together. If you aren't going to use it right away add a little lime juice, but I like it better without it.

This sounds really delicious and the quantity sounds about right too. My husband is a very easy man to cook for and he actually is fond of the jalapeno peppers. Is the jalapeno the one that requires the wearing of rubber gloves while handling it?

At our Hispanic market they sell limes 10/$1.00. So I'm assuming that limes are a favorite ingredient in Hispanic cooking.

 

[naynay]

I use a recipe given to me by a friend who made guacamole and brought to work. I thought it was wonderful so he gave me the recipe. 2-3 avocadoes chopped, 1 tomato deseeded and chopped, 1 small sweet onion diced, garlic minced, salt, juice from one lime, cilantro (optional), tabasco or hot sauce to taste. I just add everything in the food processor and pulse until desired consistency. Use with Optimists crackers for a delicious nutritious and low carb/high fat snack! Yum!

If you want to go the cheaters way, you can use the avocadoes diced up, and add a jar of whatever strength salsa you like (hot/medium/mild), add lime juice and blend in food processor. Quick and easy, less mess, and you got a nice snack.