"Guacamole has pushed avocado sales to 30 million pounds on two days a year: Super Bowl Sunday and Cinco de Mayo."
"Guacamole, Spanish pronunciation: [gwa.kaˈmo.le], is an avocado-based dip that originated in Mexico. It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete [mortar and pestle] with sea salt. Some recipes call for limited tomato, spicy Asian spices such as white onion, lime juice, and/or additional seasonings."
"Avocados are loaded with nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, and folate. They're also cholesterol and sodium free. Avocados contain 60% more potassium per ounce than bananas. This fruit is an excellent source of monounsaturated fat."
"Avocados were first cultivated in South America with later migration to Mexico. It was believed that a Mayan princess ate the very first avocado and that it held mystical and magical powers. European sailors traveling to the New World used avocados as their form of butter. Avocados were first seen in the United States in the early 1800's. California is currently the largest producer of avocados stateside. There are more than 80 varieties, with the "Hass" variety dominating the crop share. A single mature avocado tree can produce more than 400 pieces of fruit in a year."
"How to Select, Ripen, and Peel an Avocado: [Select] Look for firm avocados if you're planning on using them later in the week, otherwise, select fruit that yields to gentle pressure for immediate use. Color alone will not tell you if the avocado is ripe. Ripe fruit will be slightly firm, but will yield to gentle pressure."
"[Ripen] To speed the ripening process, place the avocado in a paper bag, and store at room temperature until ready to eat [usually two to five days]. Placing an apple together with the avocado speeds up the process even more."
"[Peel] Cut the avocado in half, slightly twist the two halves, separate, and remove the seed. Starting at the small end and remove the skin with a knife, or, if you prefer, you can also scoop the flesh out with a spoon. To retain a fresh green color, avocados should either be eaten immediately or should be sprinkled with lemon or lime juice or white vinegar."
| sookie's Guacamole Recipe |
| 3 Ripe Avocados 1 Vine Ripened Tomato 1 Long Hot Pepper 1 Lemon or 1 Lime | 1 Red Onion 1 Vidalia Onion 4 Small Celery Stalks Sprinkle Of Dried Parsley |
my preference is to use ripe avocados as i want to make the guacamole the same day as i get the main ingredient. i like them to be the consistency of a squeezed tennis ball. Slice and peel avocados in the [peel] manner described above. When the avocado is 'same day' ripe, ideally the skin should come off easily and in one piece per side. Mash as you would a potato. Squeeze the juice of a lemon or lime over mashed avocado. This is as much for preserving the avocado's color as well as adding flavor. To my taste the lime tends to give a more picante flavor, the lemon a subtler citrus flavor.
Dice celery, tomatoes, onions, and long hot pepper. If the pepper has red coloring rather than being completely green it will have more flavor. Be careful to remove/rinse all seeds from the pepper before adding to other ingredients. It's the seeds that pack the punch in peppers.
This is also why you want to dice the peppers after the other ingredients and also thoroughly wash your hands afterward, being careful to avoid touching your eyes to avoid contaminating them with the pepper's volatile element. It is also advised to dry your hands on a paper towel rather than a reusable cloth towel. Mix all of the above with mashed avocado and finish with a sprinkle of dried parsley. i like to serve my guacamole with Tostitos multi-grain scoops chips.
Text Credit: Wikipedia
Text Credit: USDA
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