Great Guacamole

A cool and creamy counterpoint to spicy foods and easy to prepare. So simple, fresh and delicious I look with wonder at the envelopes of ‘guacamole mix’  next to the bin of avocados at the market.  What is up with those? They even contain artificial flavor…….why? A basic guacamole is quick to make,  has just a few ingredients and is great for an appetizer dip or a garnish for lots of dishes such as chili, tacos and salads.

Great Guacamole ingredients: 

• 2 ripened avocados
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 small supersweet tomatoes, seeded and diced
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Cut the avocado in half by slipping your knife all around the pit, stem end to flower end and twist the two halves apart. Carefully plant the edge of your knife into the pit, and twist out. Be careful taking the pit away from your knife!

Cross hatch the avocado, without cutting through the skin and spoon the chunks out and into a bowl. 

Add the minced garlic, lime juice, several grinds of fresh pepper and a good pinch of kosher salt.  Mash everything together until it is a creamy consistency with little chunks remaining. Taste for salt and pepper, then stir in the diced tomato.  

Try some variations on the basic theme by adding some minced chile peppers, cilantro, onion – even corn!

I love to serve guacamole as an appetizer in little tortilla cups. It’s a heavy dip, and this avoids the tortilla chips breaking and falling back into the dip. 

They are also fun to use for garnishing  Chili ! 

Tips  on checking for avocado ripeness: 

The rule of thumb for gaging the ripeness of an avocado by pressing on the side to check for “give” is flawed. Have you ever thought that an avocado would be just right, only to cut it open and find it to be over-ripe and discolored? Here’s a secret to see if the avocados you are buying have been cared for and will be wonderful without being over ripe – even if it seems a little too firm.

During my time as a produce buyer for a large regional supermarket chain, one of my responsibilites was to ensure our stores had avocadoes at their ultimate peak of ripeness. I began a ripening system that worked like a charm: I transfered the incoming shipments of avocadoes to my tomato packer in Chelsea, MA. He had the room to place the pallets of avocadoes in with the tomatoes where they would receive a dose of ethylene gas ( a natural gas given off as all fruits ripen and a process that is the same as the one used for ripening bananas). The hands-on care of the avocadoes ensured even, consistent ripening so they would be firm enough to ship without bruising, but the ethylene would stimulate the ripening enough so they would be ready to use the day, or day after they were purchased. And none of that discoloration when cut open!

It has become a more popular process and there is an easy way to see  if the avocados you are buying have been “stimulated”….. just take your thumb and gently try to push the little stem end off.  If it falls off easily – the avocado has been exposed to ethylene gas (it’s just something the gas causes – and it’s a good thing). That avocado will ripen consistently and along with just a slight give to the exterior is the avocado to buy.

How To Know When An Avocado Is Ripe