Lately, I've been doing some more cooking with avocado. Putting it in salads, adding it to sandwiches, but now I want to take on the adventure of making guacamole. Yet, the two times I've tried in the past month to make some...I'm totally screwed up! I haven't even gotten to the guacamole stage because I'm a disaster with avocados. The first time, I waited too long and the avocados spoiled. This past time I went to use them and they were still ripe. HELP!!!
After purchasing avocados from the store how many days should I wait to use them?? Should I store them in a fridge? One of those vegetable saver bags? Just keep them out on the counter top? Thoughts??
3 comments:
Hey Jill, found your blog~fun!! About avocados, I bought 2 last sat. and they were still very hard. I kept them on my fruit bowl on the counter and kept a close eye on them. As soon as they softened I mashed them, added some grated garlic, a sprinkle of salt and a little bit of sour cream and dug in with some tortilla chips~yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!
Often at the supermarket there are stickers on them saying they are ripe. But here is some more info....
Leave firm avocados out on the counter for a few days to ripen. Early in the season avocados will take six to nine days to ripen. Early in the season avocados will take six to nine days to ripen. Late in the season they'll take only one to five days. That's because fruit left longer on the tree has matured to the point that it will ripen quickly after picking. To hasten the ripening process, put avocados in a paper bag or a drawer. Some people think they ripen best wrapped in foil.
Don't refrigerate avocados. They can turn to mush in as little as a day under refrigeration. Avocado flesh exposed to the air will darken very quickly. Some people think that leaving the pit in prevents discoloring, but the primary factor is keeping air away from the flesh--so wrap a cut avocado in plastic, refrigerate, and use it as soon as possible. Peeled and sliced avocados should be sprinkled with lemon or lime juice to retard discoloration; the citric acid also brings out the flavor.
To peel, cut the avocado length wise around the pit, then rotate the two halves in opposite directions. Gently put the tip of a spoon under the pit; if it comes out easily, the avocado is ripe. You can scoop the flesh out of the shell with a spoon, but in many cases the avocado will peel like a banana--just turn it over on the cut side and pull off the skin with your fingers.
Lucy had great suggestions! If the avacados are ripe when I purchase them I always leave it in a paper bag for a day or two and then they are perfect. The best is to feel them when you buy the avacado at the store and buy ones that are a bit soft when you push in. Then you can use right away!!
Good luck:)
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