A great guacamole (or avocado alterna-dip) starts at the store. Even though it's not written into any recipe, selecting the right avocado is the key first step to a delicious dip. Here, your supermarket shopping guide for finding great avocados.
Choose the right type. Are you making a dip or throwing some sliced avocado into a salad? What you do will determine which variety of avocado to choose. Hass avocados have dark green, bumpy skin and are great for making guacamole and game-day dips. (Chances are, that's the type you'll find at your local grocery store—Hass avocados account for 90 percent of all avocados sold in the United States.) Alternatively, the pear-shaped Fuerte avocado has smooth skin and firmer flesh. Use slices to liven up your best BLT recipe (B.L.A.T, anyone?).
Decide when you want to use it. If you want to eat the avocado right away, choose one that is fully ripe—the skin gives a little when softly pressed. If not, choose a firm avocado and you can continue the ripening process at home.
Storage depends on ripeness. If you bought a firm avocado that needs a little more time ripening, leave it out on the counter (avocados are among a handful of fruit that keep ripening even after being picked). To ripen in double-time, put the avocado in a bag with an apple or banana. Both fruits give off gases that get trapped in the bag and speed the process along.
A perfectly ripe avocado should not go to waste! Use it to make one of these delicious recipes.
From: Jenn | 1/29/13 at 1:49 pm
Great post! I wanted to let you know that the variety you mention first is actually "Hass" not "Haas". You can see more about picking the best avocado for Big Game here too: http://www.avocadocentral.com/how-to/how-to-pick-how-to-buy-avocados
From: Merritt Watts | 1/29/13 at 5:23 pm
Hi Jenn,
You're right! We've correct the error. Thanks!
From: Shell | 2/9/13 at 10:51 pm
These are great tips!
If you're like me and buy lots of avocados, you may be interested to know that you can use the avocado pits for dozens of cool uses:
http://www.squidoo.com/avocado-seed