Avocado Question

[ChaiLife]

I am new to the world of avocados and need a little help please.

I had been buying the avocado halves that are already de-skinned and in little plastic pasckages but would prefer to buy them fresh. All of the ones I have been feeling at the stores are hard as rocks! Do these things soften up on their own once I buy them? How do I choose an avocado? :confused:

Thanks for any help.
Kelly

[Rawkinlocs]

Unless you plan to do something with it right away, getting the ones that are hard is a good idea because when they sit out on the counter for a day or two, they will begin to soften up to where you can use them. If you buy them too soft and don't use right away, you run the risk of them going bad.

I've read that you get them when they give just a little, but not too much when you gently squeeze it...I usually try to get them that way, but if none of them "give" and they're all pretty much hard, then I grab them and let them sit out until they soften.

[ChaiLife]

Thanks Rawkinlocs! I am going out tomorrow to buy some little hard rocks and let them soften. :D My husband is so hooked on avocados right now. And I had read about blending the seed as well at www.rawfoodadvantage.com and also at www.qigong.com. So I would love to do that.

Plus after seeing pictures of Alissa's avoacdo cups, I just HAVE to make them!

Kelly

[Conscious Midwife]

Place them in a dark cool cupboard

I like super bright green avacado plopped on my salad. So I roll them around on the counter with a bit of firm pressure to soften then I slice in half and scoop out the insides.

I f they rippen on their own then I usually mix with picanta sauce or cilantro, cracked red pepper and a few squeezes of lemon.

[MangoMan]

Yea ChaiLife, those avo-cups are incredible!!

I bought too many, because they started to all get ripe at the same time and I haven't been able to keep up! If you do get a bunch, get them in different stages of ripeness. (Looks like tomorrow I'll be making some pudding with the *very* soft ones .. I have been avoiding that pudding recipe because it just sounds too odd to have avocados in pudding!)

[rawpriestess]

I just bought some for the first time, so I can make Rawkinlocs wonderful Rawnch dressing, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Sheryl]

Yahhhh RawPriestess!!!

You are the new avocado QUEEN!!!

*GRIN*

Enjoy!
Sheryl

[lil fairy z girl]

mmh avocados delicious :) if i need to ripen some a bit quicker, i put them in with my apples.
avocados are great, they are so versatile, rawpriestess, i am amazed you have not enjoyed such delights :) let us know if you love them :)

best wishes
sal

[ChaiLife]

MangoMan,
Be sure to try the Chocolate Pudding on this site: The Raw Table (http://www.therawtable.com) It is my favorite.

Ok guys! I am going out today (thought I was going yesterday but didn't) to get some avocados!!

Just curious, has anyone tried growing their own avocado trees? A nursery near me in Texas has several varieties and I am pretty close to giving in and buying one. Can you imagine a fresh picked ripe avocado straight from your own tree?!
They also have MANGO trees! Now that would be pure heaven. You KNOW I'm getting one of those. :D

Kelly

[SparklePlenty]

Oh yes! Here in South Florida avocado trees abound. I live in a neighborhood which, 40 years ago was an avocado/mango grove, so there are 'cado trees all over the place and people giving them away like crazy when they're in season. I mash the extras with lemon or lime juice and freeze in zip loc baggies. I had two gorgeous trees til Hurricane Andrew blew through, that produced lots and lots of the most delicious fruit the size of footballs, no lie. My neighbor's tree is loaded with baby 'cados right now and they are very generous with them, since they don't eat very many.

BTW, did you know that the Florida variety, while very creamy and delicious, are way lower in fat than the California ones? Yep.

[ChaiLife]

Football sized avocados??!!!! :eek: Oy vey! People giving avocados away? That's amazing. Truly!
Well, I think I know what I want for Mother's Day. ;)

[asil]

In Spain, where they don't let you handle veggies before you buy them, you ask for avos by the day you want to eat them: para hoy (for today), para manana (for tomorrow), etc. :)

[tvillemom]

OHHHH...to be able to grow my own avos!!! To have soo many that you are GIVING them away???? Must be heaven! By the way, avo pudding is WONDERFUL! I know it sounds odd, but I've tried it and couldn't believe that avo was in there...it makes it truly creamy!!!
wendi

[Nancysgoingraw]

I found a great way to cut them up too for salads. I like mine in little chunky squares and watched the salad guy at our local salad place for how he did it. He cut the avocado in half longways. Twist and pull apart the 2 halves. Carefully hit a knife into the pit and twist and it will pop right out. Then cut a pattern of squares like a tic tac toe board into the avocado. When you scoop out with a spoon, you will get all these little chunky squares into your salad ! I love avocado, it has really been a wonderful replacement for me for cheese.

Nancy

[ChaiLife]

I never thought of it as a cheese replacement. Hmmm.....I have been missing the feta on my salads.

I was reading at a qigong web site how wonderful the avocado seed is for you. They recommended throwing the seed into a high power blender when making your smoothies. Supposedly has more soluble fiber than any other veggie or seed. haven't tried it yet. I think it would choke my poor little humble smoothie maker blender. ;)

And I love the idea of how to cut them up into chunks. I am going to try that tonight!

[Spectatrix]

I think it would choke my poor little humble smoothie maker blender. ;)
Mine too! No VitaMix in this household (yet)... :o

My $20 walmart blender does work wonders for pudding, green smoothies, etc, though... *almost* anything I throw at it.

[Jordann]

This is sort of related, at least it's an avocado question --- :confused:

Sometimes I am too impatient, and not entirely great at judging when my avocados are ripe. I just cut one open, and it is not quite ripe. :mad: Is there anything I can do with it, other than choke it back still kinda hard? :(

(I figure since I've cut it open I can't just smush the pieces together and hope it'll ripen further :p Wouldn't that be sooooo much easier?!)

So any ideas? Or am I just outta luck?