HOW TO...THE ART OF THE AVOCADO

 Take advantage of the glut of budget-friendly avocados...

The glorious beauty of a perfectly ripe avocad

Have you noticed the stacks of reduced price avocados in the supermarkets lately?

67goingon50 was tempted to buy but avocados became a Mexican Conflict Commodity in the late 2010's, caught in the middle of drug cartels trying to muscle in on avo-profits. In 2022 things got so bad, the US suspended imports of Mexican avocados.  

67goingon50 - like so many others - cut back on buying avocados.

But the US suspension was brief.

The Mexican Asocciation of Producers, Packers and Exporters complained that  famers were being punished doubly - being extorted by cartels and losing their livelihoods.  They are now asking consumers to resume buying avocados while the the Mexican govenment puts in place social development and community programmes.   

Which means afficianados of avo on sourdough toast can carry on without guilt.

Why are avocados so popular?

Avocado consumption in the US has doubled over a decade.

It's partly to do with the fact that avos are a healthy fat, mostly mono-unsaturated, which helps the heart.  Avos do contain protein and carbs but only in small quantities: a third of an avo clocks in at 1 gr of protein and 4 of carbs.

The velvety texture of avocado gives a rather luxurious appeal and the slightly sweet, nutty flavour is gorgeous.  They are very versatile. (See uses below).  Avocados are also easy on the gut.  

For Mexican food producers avocado are an ideal product. Native to Mexico, avocados are what are known as climacteric fruit; they can ripen after they're harvested.  That means they can be transported thousands of miles from farm to table and arrive at their best.

But that's also their biggest drawback.  

Because you don't know what's inside until you cut into it

 

In an ideal world, you would find pale green loveliness like the photo above.

Other times you might find an oversoft interior with black & bruised spots.

Or something so firm, you can't cut into it.

Overripe, squishy avo?  Bin them.  Under-ripe? There are easy remedies. 

First, learn to recognise a ripe avocado.  Then experiment with the tried and trusted remedy of ripening a rock-hard specimen

Guaranteeing a ripe avocado

The laziest way of finding a ripe avocado is to ask your friendly 

independent green grocer for an avocado ripe for today or tomorrow.  A beautifully ripe avo is pretty much a given then but it will cost you.  Probably over £2.

And in the Cost of Living Crisis etc. etc when supermarket avos are under a pound (and a upmarket fruit section is currently selling them for 70pence), it makes sense to get with a learning programme.

A ripe avocado has:

• dark green almost-black skin
• a rough texture
• a bit of give when squeezed
• a mould-free, clean node with a non-squiffy smell where the stem was attached

Dealing with an unripe avocado

Waiting for an avo to ripen can be aggravating; it could take days.  The net is full of wild and wonderful methods of 'ripening in minutes' with ovens, microwaves etc.  Most avocado specialists recommend avoiding those methods. The results can be awful; some are disgusting.  67 tried a few and regretted it. 

The method most often recomended by experts is to put the avocado in a brown paper bag with a banana or apple, seal the bag with a clip/clothes peg and store it at room temperature for 24 hours.  (Bananas and apples contain enzymes which help ripen avocados.)  No brown paper bag?  Replace with newspaper.

If not ripe at the end of 24 hours, leave for another 24 hours.

When ripe (firm with a bit of give), use immediately or store in a refrigerator up to 3 days.

If you've cut the avo open and it's not ready, don't panic.  Leave the stone intact.  Brush surfaces with oil or lemon juice to form a protective film; re-assemble, wrap in cling film and refrigerate unil ripe.

Some common & less well known delicious recipes for Avocado

Room temperature:

• on toast, with a sprinkle of nuts and a poached egg
• guacamole
• smoothies
• Salads: mixed green or with prawns or chicken 
• Vegetable Sides: Sweet, Sour & Spicy Avocado Corn

Cooked (surprisingly wonderful): 

• Avocado Pilau: ambrosial, great for slightly underripe avocado
• Avocado Vichyssoise: almost carb free; warm or chilled

Sources: all from Apple News+

Good Housekeeping

Chowhound

Pop Sugar 

This information has been researched & written by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.