Selecting

Avocados vary widely in weight, texture, shape, and thickness of skin. When choosing an avocado avoid those that have dark, soft spots on their surface.  As for quality or flavor size, shape and color have no impact. To pick out a ripe avocado, put light pressure from your fingertips on the outer rind. If it yields, it's ripe.

Storing

Unripe avocados should be placed in a paper bag at room temperature and will ripen in 2 to 5 days. To speed up the ripening process place in the paper bag a apple, pear, or banana, the ethylene gas produced from the fruit helps the avocado ripen. To maintain the color off a cut or sliced avocado brush the surface with lime or lemon juice. After an avocado is ripe you can place into refrigeration for a few days to keep it from becoming over ripe.

Preparation

Limitation of the use of avocados is that of the users imagination. The most popular avocado dish is guacamole but can be used in or on sandwiches, hot dishes such as soups, stews and omelets just before serving.


Nutrition Information