Common mistakes with the millennial fruit: avocado
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the food lovers of online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat and what to cook. This time our chefs serve you: dthe mistakes we make with an avocado.
On toast, as guac or in your poke bowl: how you prefer to eat your avocado is entirely up to you. But that doesn't mean you can't improve your avocado skills. Because man, there are still quite a few mistakes being made that you can easily avoid. The result: even more deliciousness.
Yes, it's a hype and no, they are not great for the environment. But man, whatever you say about them, avocados are so creamy, filling, easy to take along, full of good fats AND just delicious. Especially if you don't make these mistakes:
Mistake 1: letting them oxidize
Brown avocado is edible, but to say it's tasty and attractive? No. As soon as the beautiful green of your avocado comes into contact with the air, it starts to oxidize. So only cut your avocado just before you are going to eat it. If that's not possible because you need to prepare and for example make the guacamole in the afternoon for that evening, cover the flesh tightly with cling film.
Mistake 2: using unripe avocados
Now that we're talking about guacamole: you really need ultra-ripe, soft avocados for that. Sure, if you try hard enough, any avocado can be mashed, but it's not tasty. Unripe avocados are not only ‘bad’ for your guacamole. To be honest: they are just never really tasty. After all, an avocado is not a fresh, crunchy apple. So be patient. Or put some bananas with them, then they ripen faster.
Mistake 3: using overripe avocados
Anything with ’too’ in front of it is not good. Although I do need to make a nuance here: for mashed avocado (on toast) and guacamole, very ripe avocados are of course good. See point 2. But if you want to make nice slices a la The Avocado Show, then you better have them just a bit firmer. You can squeeze them, but did you know you can also see how ripe your avocado is by pulling off the stem? Is it green underneath? Then they are ready to go. Brown? Too ripe. Can't get the stem off? Then they need a little more time.
Mistake 4: just cutting and serving
Avocados need little to shine. Sure, just cut them, sprinkle some pepper and salt over them and they are already delicious. Just scoop them straight out of the skin. Mmm. But have you ever had avocado fries? Fried avocado: crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. So good. Just like those from the Airfryer by the way. And did you know they are also incredibly delicious when grilled? Spread some oil on them, and place them on a blazing hot grill – about 30 seconds – bam. Avocado 2.0.
Mistake 5: skimping on the herbs
Avocados are rich in fat. Healthy fats, but still fat. That makes them ideal for salads, dressings and dips, but you need to balance that creaminess. A good pinch of salt works wonders. A bit of acidity – lime or lemon juice – also works like crazy. More suggestions? Cilantro, lime zest, red onion, chili peppers, (smoked) paprika powder... all belong to the avocado's circle of friends.
