Avocados are one of my favorite berries. That’s right, they are a fruit, not a vegetable. Not only are avocados delicious, they are also nutritious. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals and healthy fats.
Just one more reason to love guacamole!
How to pick the perfect Avocado
Ever wonder how to pick the perfect avocado at the grocery store? It can be quite tricky, and avocados can be fickle in their ripeness.
Paying attention to the color is essential when picking a ripe avocado. The darker the color, the more overripe it will be. Finding a shade in between the lightest and darkest color green will help you find the perfect avocado. Use your finger to gently press on the avocado to feel how firm it is. If it feels firm, but not mushy, and has the right color -- you have found your avocado.
If your fruit is a little under-ripe. Just put them in a paper bag for a day or two and they will ripen up perfectly.
Storing Avocados
While we're talking about avocados, I'll also share my hack with keeping it fresh in the fridge after cutting. Brush your avocado slices with a little lemon or lime juice to keep it from browning, and store it in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Same goes for storing your left-over guacamole (if you have any). You can sprinkle some lime juice over it and cover with parchment. Make sure to press the parchment down onto the guac before putting the airtight cover on your container.
Guacamole
3 ripe avocados
¾ cup cherry or plum tomatoes, diced (I like the mini-plum variety for this)
1 jalapeño, minced
¼ cup of diced red onion (optional)
1 clove minced garlic
½ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Sea salt and Pepper to taste
Tip: If you like it spicy, add a little crushed red pepper or a diced serrano pepper
Cut each avocado in half and remove the pit. Slice into cubes inside the skin and then scoop into a medium-sized bowl. Add remaining ingredients, and then gently mash with a potato masher or fork, maintaining a relatively chunky texture.
Makes about 3 cups.
Serve with assorted crudité. Enjoy on toast. Top your salad.
Let me know what you think!