Picking out avocados..

[Autumn]

I have never bought/eaten avocados before. This morning we went shopping and i hope I picked out some good ones. I should have asked last night so I knew what I was doing. Turns out, they had them all along, I just didn't realize it because I thought they looked different (I thought they were white or light green.)

Anyway, they had dark green and black ones. I picked black. They had soft, medium and hard ones. I picked medium. Did I do wrong?

[sweetgoddess]

you did good girl! Tres bien. Good instincts. They ripen quicker on the conter..and refrigerating slows it down, just so you know. The hard ones arent ripe at all! blech. Sometimes the soft ones are either just right or too ripe. Just like goldilocks...yours are just right. Hope you like. Have you ever had guacamole?

[DotfromOz]

You'll find that the dark green and black ones, assuming they're about the same degree of firmness, taste slightly different and have a bit different consistency. The black ones are usually gooier and less flavorful, IMO.

Just check the ones you got--if they haven't already been sacrificed to your hunger deity ;) --to see if they have any noticeably softer spots. That usually indicates they're starting to go bad, so eat that one first. If the inside has any brown streaks to speak of, that's a definite indicator they're starting to go. They won't hurt you, but if there's any solid brown patches, just cut 'em out and eat the rest, as that one was really on its way "south."

Quite a lot of people overwhelm the flavor of avocados with a buncha junk like seasonings and garlic and such. You'll know you're a true avocado lover when you really prefer to open one up and eat the fruit out of the shell with a spoon!

I've eaten them for years and years and offer you some jazzing-up suggestions if you find you're not quite that much of a purist yet. Lemme know if you'd like some options.

Hope you enjoy!
Dot

[sweetgoddess]

hmmm I think I am the only one on earth who cant seem to like avacadoes.

I had one or two perfect ones and liked those..but 95% of them I do not like. The only 2 times in my life I had them before raw..i had as guacamole with salsa and corn chips at a mexican restaurant and both times within 20 minutes i was very sick.

What about these big, huge avacadoes I see at the store? Do they taste different?

[VeganVixen]

hmmm I think I am the only one on earth who cant seem to like avacadoes.

I had one or two perfect ones and liked those..but 95% of them I do not like. The only 2 times in my life I had them before raw..i had as guacamole with salsa and corn chips at a mexican restaurant and both times within 20 minutes i was very sick.

What about these big, huge avacadoes I see at the store? Do they taste different?


your not the only one -for me they have too be added conservatevly to a salad or as a guac. with half the normal amount of avocado and green peas blended w/lots of spice

I dont know they taste like a big green slimy lump of fat plain....

[Autumn]

I dont know they taste like a big green slimy lump of fat plain....

Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to digging into these babies tomorrow...... :rolleyes: LOL!

For those that *do* like them, what do they taste like?

[VeganVixen]

oops sorry .......just my honest opinion,and like I said I DO like them ,but Im just picky how they are presented and utilized!-- for every me ,theyre are tons of people who LOVE them raw!

[SamL]

I love them, they have a gentle creamy flavor/texture. I love the black skin one's.

[Autumn]

<<oops sorry .......just my honest opinion,and like I said I DO like them>>

LOL! I was just teasing. I know everyone's tastebuds are different.

Dot-yes, I'd like a few suggestions, please. :D

[Autumn]

Have you ever had guacamole?

I may have, once or twice in my life, but if I did, it was a tiny amount, very long ago and wasn't that memorable. It's mainly made of avos, right?

[flyinion]

I dont know they taste like a big green slimy lump of fat plain....

Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to digging into these babies tomorrow...... :rolleyes: LOL!

For those that *do* like them, what do they taste like?


Uh, they taste like avocados lol. Sorry I don't think there is really any other food you can compare them to. I personally love them in any form and always have. I have noticed one thing though. Usually I have been having to buy my produce at local grocery stores like a Safeway. I got fed up with blowing 3 or 4 bucks on two avocados there and opening them both up and even though they feel perfectly ripe they have the black/brown in them and need to be tossed. The local Safeway has recently created a decent sized, for the sized of their overall produce section, organic produce section. I picked up a couple of the organic avocados and will never buy a non organic one there again. The organic ones had more flavor and the only time I had any of the dark/brown spots was when I let them get overripe before using.

[DotfromOz]

Here're my favorite ways to eat an avocado, other than with a spoon out of its own shell wit' nuttin' whatsoever on it. ;) That's an acquired taste, I think, but I've sure got it!

1--Chunked with fruit, your choice. This is weird for those accustomed to guacamole or avocado in salads. I particularly like avocado with pineapple. Banana overpowers it, as does any really strongly flavored fruit.

2--Try chunks of avocado atop a salad without dressing and just a sprinkle of any of the following: minced garlic, herbes de Provence, Italian or Mexican seasoning, thyme, marjoram...whatever, or combine your favorites. Then, whack a lime in half--gotta be a lime, lemon is way too Anglo!--and drip the juice here and there over the salad. Yummers!

3--Here's my super-simple guacamole recipe. Chop your avocado into nice bite-sized chunks. (Easiest way is to pop out the pit and cut each half criss-crossed while still in the shell. Take a spoon and just follow the curve of the shell to dig out those yummy chunks.) Put about half of them on a plate and mash the pee-waddies outta them with a fork. (Don't get all fancy and use a food processor, as you want it just ever-so-slightly chunky, plus you're gonna lose some of that yummy avocado!) Scoop into a bowl, add a smallish tomato, chopped, just a wee bit of minced garlic (not enough to overwhelm the avocado's flavor), and squeeze the juice of about half a lime into it. (Some like to add chopped onion and chopped cilantro. I might use a very good onion, but I think cilantro overwhelms the avocado.) Mix well. Gently stir in the remaining avocado chunks. This is better if it sits for an hour or so in the fridge to meld the flavors. Set it out long enough before you want to eat that it warms to room temp so as to get the full flavor. Dip cuke strips or thick slices, celery, zuke sticks--any fairly mild-flavored veggie. This would be great, I bet, with a seasoned flax cracker, mebbe one made with a really good chili powder. Hmmmm...I'll have to try that now that I've got a dehydrator.

[Autumn]

Dot,
Thanks for the tips! I'm going to try the guac in the morning. It all sounds sooooooo good, I hope I like it, too! :D

Thanks again!

[rawruh]

Hi there

Avocado is probably my favourite food in the world, i can eat them like an apple, with no seasoning. But where i live in Turkey, they cost about 4 dollars for one. So i never buy them!

especially i like Bananna/Avocado and Guava together as a smoothy.

if you need to ripen the avocado faster, then keep it in a paper bag in a warm place. It really works fast.

[RawTruth]

The ones withe the pebbly skin are Haas avocadoes. It's fine to buy them when they're green and hard; they'll ripen to where the skin is black and they're SLIGHTLY soft to the touch. It should just give a little when you squeeze them. If they feel softer than that, they're too ripe and will have the brown strings inside. I buy them green and just put them in a paper bag because they're usually not ripe ... and the ones that are are oftentimes bruised with soft spots inside.

The smooth skin avocado with the skin that stays green are usually Fuerte which are also grown in California, but are not as popular as the Haas since their taste is more watery and thin as opposed to the Haas which is fuller tasting and is creamier textured.

As I mentioned in a previous thread, my ex owns an avocado orchard in Valley Center (N. San Diego County -- which is avocado country) and I've at times been blessed with an overabundance -- depending on his generosity which has dried up completely recently :( For a while there, I was in heaven as avos are one of my favorite foods.

Avocado and citrus partner very well, as we here in California know. The easiest way to use them like that is to simply put avo chunks in a bowl with orange. The taste of the two fruits complement each other delightfully.

Definitely don't put avo in the processor for guacamole -- a bowl and a fork is all that's necessary.

It adds creaminess and a nut-like taste to salad dressings.

A staple for me is an avo sandwich -- so easy to make -- flax crackers or onion bread or pizza bread (or any type, of course) with avocado, tomato slices, sprouts or lettuce. yummmy. I usually add a little Zing Salad or a bit of Nama Shoyu used as a spread (like mayo) or a bit of salad dressing or a smear of tahini. I half the avocado, then use a fork to smush the avocado flesh right in the shell and then spoon it out onto the bread.

Since you're all on your own there, it may take you a few to get the hang of when it's ripe and tasty. When you hit it right, though, you'll know -- creamy, nutty, full-flavored. I'm dyin here -- there were only green ones at the store tonight, so I'll have to wait a few days. Aaargh!

I personally can't think of many things that aren't

[DotfromOz]

Yet another thing a good ol'-fashioned paper bag is fantastic for, eh, Rawruh?

I keep a package of little brown paper lunchbags around for that most of the year and for making farolitos (what most people call luminarias) during the holiday season. I know, I'm such a snob, but having lived in Santa Fe for awhile, I learned to "Do as the Santa Feans and never, EVER refer to them as anything but farolitos." A luminaria out there means the big bonfires set atop hills that can be seen for miles and miles.

[sweetgoddess]

Doe, thank you. I look at those gigantic avacadoes everytime I am at the store but havent bought one because I have never seen or heard of anyone eatng them. I am going to go for it now though. Thanks!

[Doe]

Carmel, I'll try to put a link here for you that shows many different types avos that grow in FL. Unfortunately it doesn't have Haas, but you know that one, it's the only one to my knowledge that we get here from CA. The point is hopefully you can pick out your giant avos from the pictures and dated of harvest. It also talks some about the tastes. All FL avos I've eaten were smooth, creamy,and substantial feeling in the tummy; a real good substitute for any kind of fried food, without the icky greasy face feeling afterward. We don't have any FL avos in the stores right now. Will have to wait till June. Your giant ones may be the ones described by Raw Truth. There should be something (a sing or a sticker) in your store saying where they are from.

www.tropicalfruitnursery.com (http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/)

[Doe]

After reviewing the above site, the last ones we had must have been Choquette. They were the size of a small cantaloupe. They were exceptionally mild and creamy, hubby and I both liked them.

We were going through a tomato soup phaze where we blenderized very ripe tomatoes, added cilantro, chopped sweet onion, and green bell pepper, then pulsed to blend flavors. We cut some avocado in bite size cubes and divided it between our bowls, squeezed some lime over the avocado (I like more lime that he does) then poured the soup over the top, YUM!

It's not likley two people can eat a whole one at one sitting, but they keep well in the fridge. Remove the seed first and it will last longer.

[RawTruth]

Oh my, Doe, after that soup description, I can't wait for ripe tomato season! I'm saving your "recipe" for vine ripe time.