Common mistakes with millennial fruit numero uno: avocado
Avocado on toast, as guacamole or in your poke bowl with tuna: how you prefer to eat your avocado is entirely up to you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t improve your avo skills. Because, man, plenty of mistakes are still being made that you can easily avoid. The result: even more deliciousness.
Avocados are so creamy, filling, convenient to take with you, packed with good fats, and simply delicious. Especially if you avoid the mistakes below.
Avocado mistakes you should stop making
But first, a warning: many people cut the avocado in half and then try to remove the pit with a large kitchen knife. Life-threatening. The Dutch Association for Plastic Surgery has already sounded the alarm about this. They are increasingly seeing people who have permanently injured their hands while cleaning an avocado. Once you’ve opened your avocado safely, make sure you don’t do the following:
Mistake 1: letting them oxidize
Brown avocado is edible, but tasty and appealing? Not really. As soon as the beautiful green flesh of your avocado comes into contact with the air, oxidation begins. So only cut your avocado just before you’re going to eat it. If that’s not possible because you need to prepare ahead and, for example, make the guacamole in the afternoon for that evening, cover the flesh very tightly with plastic wrap.
Mistake 2: using unripe avocados
Since we’re talking about guacamole: you really need ultra-ripe, soft avocados for that. Sure, if you try hard enough you can mash any avocado into a pulp, but it won’t taste good. Unripe avocados aren’t just ‘bad’ for your guacamole, either. Honestly, they’re simply never really delicious. After all, an avocado isn’t a fresh, crunchy apple. So be patient. Or put them next to bananas, which will make them ripen faster.
Mistake 3: using overripe avocados
Anything with ‘too’ in front of it isn’t good. Although I should add a nuance here: very ripe avocados are of course perfect for mashed avo (on toast) and guacamole. See point 2. But if you want to make beautiful slices à la The Avocado Show, it’s better to have them slightly firmer. You can squeeze them, but did you know you can also tell how ripe your avocado is by pulling off the stem? Is it green underneath? Then they’re ready to go. Brown? Too ripe—and hey: this is how you prevent your avocado from turning brown. Can’t remove the stem? Then they need a little more time.
Mistake 4: simply slicing and serving
Avocados don’t need much to shine. Sure, slice one, add some salt and pepper, and it’s already delicious. Just scoop it straight from the skin. Mmm. But have you ever had avocado fries? Deep-fried avocado: crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. So delicious. Just like the ones from the Airfryer, by the way. And did you know they’re unbelievably delicious grilled, too? Brush them with some oil and place them on a scorching-hot grill—for about 30 seconds—bam. Avocado 2.0.
Mistake 5: skimping on the seasoning
Avocados are high in fat. Healthy fats, but still fat. That makes them ideal for salads, dressings and dips, but you do need to balance that creaminess. A good pinch of salt works wonders. Some acidity—lime or lemon juice—works like a charm, too. More suggestions? Cilantro, lime zest, red onion, chili peppers, (smoked) paprika… they’re all part of the avocado’s circle of friends.
Read also:
- Emma’s food annoyances: avocado abuse
- Don’t throw away your avocado pit—grate it!
- You can now buy an avocado air mattress at Lidl, and it costs next to nothing
