It is dark green on the outside, light green on the inside, when ripe and good to eat it has a smooth, creamy texture, and there are many who consider it a royal delicacy - yes, you’re not mistaken, this is of course avocado. This favorite fruit (yes, fruit!) originated in South America, but today is grown and sold all over the world. Here are 11 tips, tricks, and advice on how to use avocados to help you understand how you can quickly ripen it, check it for ripeness, and how to combine the avocados in your meals easily, conveniently and aesthetically.
If you bought a fresh avocado that is not yet ripe enough to eat, there is a simple solution that can help you quicken its ripening. Just place the avocado into a paper bag along with a banana or an apple, and wait a few days; Both of these fruits release a gas which helps the avocado ripen faster, and the bag itself helps in gas absorption and speeds up the process.
The stem at the top of the avocado can be gently pulled out to examine the color of the avocado from the inside; If the color you see is yellow or green it indicates that your avocado is ripe and ready to eat, but if the inner color is brown, it means that the fruit is no longer edible and should be thrown out.
There may be those who will find this bit strange or unnecessary - why wash a fruit before removing its peel which I’m not even going to eat? But know that this is a very important step, that if you skip you risk putting various harmful substances in your body through the avocado. The avocado peel is indeed hard and impenetrable, however, the bumps on it can provide fertile ground for the development of parasites and bacteria. If you don’t wash it before peeling, you may transfer these parasites to the fruit itself through the knife. Therefore, make sure that before you remove the avocado peel, you rinse it thoroughly with a bit of cold or lukewarm water.
Many people cut their avocados lengthwise, and if you’re one of these people - you may want to rethink your method, at least if you want to make it easier for yourself to remove the pit. The best way to cut an avocado is to cut around the pit. If you do this, you will find it much easier to take it out, without the need for a knife or spoon, because a small pull will be enough to release it. By the way, if you thought of getting rid of the pit and throwing it in the trash, don’t rush to do so - read the following article first and discover some of its amazing health benefits.
If you’re only planning on using half of an avocado make sure to use this trick the keep the other half fresh. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice on the remaining avocado, and then store it refrigerated. The citric acid in the lemon is a powerful antioxidant that will slow down the browning process.
There is no doubt that avocado is a healthy vegetable - in part because it contains high amounts of monounsaturated fat, which helps lower cholesterol, as well as reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. It is also an excellent component for cooking and baking in your kitchen, which can replace much less healthy products, such as butter. One cup of avocado puree is equal to a cup of butter.
Besides cooking and baking, another place where you can use avocado as an excellent substitute is in cold dishes, especially salads. Some people believe that tuna and egg salad are healthy because of their protein content, but a large amount of mayonnaise added to these “salads” isn’t really good for us. Therefore, it is best to replace it with fresh avocado puree.
What’s better than starting the morning with a refreshing healthy shake made from the freshest fruits in your fridge? While many people agree this is the best way to start their day, they don’t always notice that the fruit they’re using, such as bananas, for example, is full of sugar, which, as everyone already knows, is unhealthy in high quantities. To prevent this, use avocados instead of those sugar-rich fruits – making sure you get the same nutrients and favorite smooth texture, without the harmful sugar.
There aren’t many people who would say no to a plate of fries, but if you want to stick to a slightly healthier and less fatty diet, use avocado slices to create a delicious healthy snack that will enrich your body with better nutritional values and fight off that French fry craving. Just coat the avocado slices in breadcrumbs and bake them in the oven or even fry with a little vegetable oil - either way, they still make for the healthier choice.
You can upgrade the look of almost any dish by creating a special avocado garnish. To do this: peel your avocado, cut it into two halves, and remove the pit. Now take one half, place it on a cutting board with the pit side facing down, and thinly slice it.
Now take the flat side of the knife, place it next to the sliced avocado slices, and press it slightly against them, until they begin to overlap each other and form a fan; Keep pressing with the knife until the slices are arranged in a long line.
Now start assembling the garnish - Roll the avocado slices from the narrow end inward, and continue rolling until a perfect circle is formed (as shown in the following pictures).
Now you can place your avocado artwork on a piece of bread, a pie or vegetable salad and bring beauty to the most mundane of meals!
