Avocado is delicious, creamy and rich in potassium, vitamin E and other essential nutrients. You can eat the fruit for an afternoon snack or use it as an ingredient in more complex recipes - as cream or even in drinks. To make it even better, it also has healthy fats. Anyway, the important thing is always to see if the avocado is ripe, cut it, remove the skin and separate what is edible from what is not, and store everything in the refrigerator in proper condition.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Cutting the Avocado
Step 1. Squeeze the avocado lightly to find out if it is ripe
The perfect avocado sinks slightly when given a little pressure - just like human skin when you run your fingers over it lightly. If it's rock hard, it's not ripe yet. You can even eat it, but it won't taste or taste the same. On the other hand, if it's too soft, it's because it's already spoiled or spoiled for good.
- You can also pull the stem to determine if the avocado is ripe. If the skin under it is green and healthy, you can already eat the fruit. If not, it's better to wait or throw the avocado away.
- Generally, a ripe avocado has a dark green or almost black rind and some lumps on the outside.
- If the avocado is not yet ripe, store it in a paper bag with a banana, apple, and other fruits to speed up the process.
Step 2. Cut the avocado lengthways
Hold the avocado firmly on a kitchen board with your non-dominant hand. Take a sharp knife in the other hand and cut the avocado lengthways (from the stem to the widest part). When you feel you have reached the pit, stop the knife and rotate the avocado until it has finished its circumference.
If the avocado doesn't split into two halves by itself, use your hands to rotate the pieces in opposite directions until you can
Step 3. Remove the pit with a knife
Hold the half of the avocado that has the stone on the kitchen board. Then make a short, precise movement with the blade to drive it into the fruit. Use strength, but be careful not to slip and miss. Finally, twist the knife to pull out the lump.
- Use a large, sharp knife, not a bread knife (which doesn't have the necessary cutting force).
- Discard the lump when finished. There is no scientific consensus regarding the consumption of avocado kernels, but this is generally not recommended.
Step 4. Cut the avocado pulp without piercing the skin
If you intend to chop the avocado, use the knife to cut the fruit into cubes horizontally and vertically. Be careful not to pierce the shell. Then use a large spoon to extract the pieces.
Avocado cubes go well in a variety of recipes, such as salads, egg dishes, guacamole, etc
Step 5. Scoop the pulp with a spoon if you intend to slice the avocado or make a puree
Use a spoon to loosen the skin around the half of the avocado to remove the pulp. You can crush this piece of fruit with a fork and place it face down on the kitchen board to slice with the tip of the knife.
It is a little difficult to separate the pulp from the skin when the avocado is very ripe. If you want something "beautiful", use a less ripe fruit
Method 2 of 5: Making a Creamy Puree
Step 1. Make an avocado puree
You can improve many foods and dishes - such as toast, sandwiches, donuts, hamburgers and the like - with an avocado puree, a great substitute for mayonnaise and other seasonings. Just separate the pulp from the skin and use a fork to mash the fruit. You can also add salt, pepper, lemon juice and pepper flakes to taste.
You can also make a puree with two avocados and a little salad dressing, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of mayonnaise. Refrigerate for an hour, then serve with hamburgers, sandwiches, or fried chicken
Step 2. Mix lemon juice, onion, tomato, cilantro and garlic to make guacamole
Use a large bowl to mix together 3 mashed avocados, juice of 1 lemon, ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt and ½ teaspoon (1 g) cumin. Then cut 1 medium onion in half and add 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 tablespoon (1 g) of cilantro and 1 clove of garlic. Mix everything and serve with chips or other snack.
Also add ½ teaspoon (90 g) cayenne pepper and ½ seedless jalapeno pepper to make the guacamole stronger
Step 3. Blend a fresh avocado in a blender to use the pulp in a creamy salad
Blend 1 large avocado, 1 garlic clove, ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) lemon or lime juice, 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender until everything forms a liquid viscous. If necessary, add a little water to improve consistency. Serve with a salad immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Method 3 of 5: Serving Avocado in a Meal
Step 1. Slice or chop the avocado to add to the salad
Avocado makes any simple green salad more delicious, even more with a hint of salt and pepper. You can even add lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and feta cheese to the recipe, as well as pepper flakes (if you like a stronger taste).
Avocado is a classic cobb salad ingredient, as are chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs and blue cheese
Step 2. Bake pieces of avocado to place in Moroccan salad
Cut the avocado into small pieces lengthways, peel off the skin and discard the stone. Add a little olive oil, salt and lemon to the fruit and place everything on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 230 °C for 15 minutes or until the edges of the fruit are golden brown. Finally, remove the pan and eat the avocado with a Moroccan salad.
Leave the avocado in the oven for up to 25 minutes if you prefer it to be crispier. Just don't let the fruit burn
Step 3. Grill the halves of an avocado to make tacos
After cutting the avocados in half and removing the pit, smear a little oil on both sides and place the halves face down on a hot grill for about 30 seconds. Then collect the fruits and wait for them to cool. Finally, use a spoon to peel off the skin and cut everything into slices. Fold these pieces into tortillas and finish with a tomato or fruit sauce, fresh cilantro or chunks of fresh cheese.
If you don't have a grill at home, use a hot skillet to burn the avocados
Step 4. Break eggs into avocado halves and bake them for breakfast
Preheat the oven to 230 °C while slicing and slicing the avocado pits. If the hole that remains is smaller than the egg, use a spoon to increase the diameter of the fruit. Then place it on a baking sheet and crack the egg. Place in oven for 12 minutes or until whites are white.
- If you can't balance the avocado halves on the baking sheet, make a "stand" with aluminum foil.
- Sprinkle some hot sauce on the avocado before cracking the egg to make the flavor stronger.
Step 5. Make a creamy avocado dough
Place the pulp of 2 avocados in a blender with ½ cup (15 g) spinach, ½ cup (20 g) fresh basil, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice, 1 tbsp. tea (6 g) of salt and 1 cup (240 ml) of olive oil. Add hot, fresh pasta and Parmesan cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes or basil pieces.
- Use a thicker noodle, such as spaghetti, for the avocado cream to spread better. You can also opt for low-carb or gluten-free alternatives.
- You can store leftover pasta and avocado in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, although the color will darken as the fruit oxidizes.
Method 4 of 5: Putting Avocados in Drinks
Step 1. Make a simple smoothie with avocado, frozen bananas and milk
Take the pulp from an avocado and place in a blender. Then add 2 frozen bananas and 410 ml of milk. Beat until the vitamin is very liquid and drink immediately afterwards.
This basic vitamin is rich in protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. So it's great for breakfast, a light lunch, or a post-workout snack
Step 2. Add avocado to other fruit smoothies for a creamier taste
You can use an avocado to make any vitamin creamier without having to resort to dairy products or alter the flavor of the fruit too much. Use a whole or half fruit instead of other ingredients like bananas and Greek yogurt.
Here's an example of a classic recipe: beat 1 ½ cup (150 g) of a berry (raspberry or blackberry), 1 cup (30 g) of fresh spinach, 1 cup (15 ml) of a milk with or without fat, 1 scoop of soup (15 ml) of corn syrup and the pulp of ½ ripe avocado
Step 3. Make a sweet Indian lassi with avocado
Lassi is a sweet and creamy drink made from yogurt, very common as a snack or dessert. To prepare with avocado, beat 2 ripe avocados with ½ cup (120 ml) yogurt, 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar and crushed seeds of 4 cardamom pods until ready. to the correct consistency. Also add sugar to taste.
You can also make a vegan lassi, replacing yogurt and milk with soy and almond products. In that case, rub some lemon juice on the avocados to preserve the drink's flavor
Step 4. Make a healthy avocado and chocolate shake
Beat the pulp of 1 ripe avocado with 1 ½ cup (350 ml) of milk, 3 tablespoons (22 g) of cocoa powder without sweetener, 3 tablespoons (38 g) of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons (20 g) of melted chocolate and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vanilla extract. Use the "pulse" function until all the ingredients are mixed and finally add 12 ice cubes before serving.
To make the vegan version, switch ingredients to non-dairy versions like vanilla almonds, artificial chocolate, and so on
Method 5 of 5: Storing Fresh Sliced Avocados
Step 1. Wrap the cut avocado in plastic wrap before storing
It's best to cut the avocado right before eating, but you can also use plastic wrap to keep the fruit in the fridge. The film helps prevent the air from oxidizing the pulp for at least one day.
You can also put the avocado with plastic wrap in an airtight bag, but remove all the air from the bag
Step 2. Soak the avocado puree in water to preserve it
Soak avocado puree in 1.5 cm of water to block contact with air. When serving, just remove the water and stir the fruit slightly.
Step 3. Sprinkle acid on cut avocado to extend shelf life
You can use lemon, lime or orange juice to extend the life of the sliced avocado. Just apply the liquid over the fruit (cut in half, in cubes or in the form of puree) before placing the plastic film. Other acidic agents, such as vinegar, will also do.
Tomatoes and onions are also acidic and preserve avocado longer. If you want to make guacamole and keep it in the fridge, use these two ingredients in the recipe
Tips
- You can even eat a green avocado, but the texture and consistency are not so good. The same goes for fruits that are overripe, as long as you remove the brown parts. Don't eat anything that's close to rotting altogether.
- There are numerous types of avocados in the world, some of which are more common than others in Brazil. Here, the main ones are Breda, Fortuna, Geada, Margarida, Ouro Verde, Quintal and Hass.