Whether you’re planning on making a spicy guacamole dip or you want to use a more basic guacamole recipe to craft something more traditional, few things are as important to making something delicious as choosing the best avocados. It doesn’t matter whether you use Hass, fuerte, or other varieties of avocado, so long as you make sure you choose fruit that is properly ripened.
Unless you grew up making fresh guacamole dips using avocados from a tree in the backyard, chances are you don’t know what to look for. If that sounds like you, not to worry; with this simple guide on buying, storing, and even ripening your avocados, you can make sure that your dip not only offers the traditional health benefits of guacamole, but all that great flavor, too.
How to Choose and Store the Best Avocados for Fresh Guacamole Dips
- You Can’t Choose a Good Avocado by Sight Alone
- What if You Have to Store the Avocado for a Day or Two?
- What if You Buy Unripened Avocados?
If you’re one of the many people who choose avocados just by looking at them, chances are you’re going to get a mixed bag — literally. Instead, as the popular cooking site The Kitchn details, you need to inspect each fruit by hand. The avocado should feel heavy for its size, and when you squeeze it, it should have only a little give. Buying avocados that are hard as rocks will take several days to ripen, while over-softened, over-ripened fruit will quickly be shedding much of their nutritional — and culinary — value.
What if you buy ripe avocados to make fresh guacamole dips with, but your plans suddenly change? In that case, you need to find a way to store the fruit that will effectively halt the ripening process. According to AvocadoCentral.com, you have two options, depending on what steps you’ve already taken. If you’ve yet to cut into the avocado, simply place it in the refrigerator, where it will keep fine for up to four days. On the other hand, if you’ve already cut up the avocado, you should put it in an airtight container with citrus juice. The acid in the juice will keep the flesh from turning to that nasty brown color. This method will unfortunately only keep the prepared flesh fresh for a day or two.
If, for some reason, you ignore our advice on buying perfectly ripened avocados, take heart. With the power of a paper bag and some patience, you can ripen the avocados for yourself at home, as Food Network suggests. Simply place the avocados into a paper bag and place in a warm area. Like bananas, avocados produce a gas that ripens the flesh. By placing them in a closed bag, you allow the gas to collect, speeding up the ripening process. Depending on the state of your avocados at the beginning of the process, this could take anywhere from 12 hours to a couple days to work.
Do you have any other tips for choosing and storing avocados before using them in your favorite classic guacamole recipes? Let us know in the comments below. Continue reading here: sabra.com
