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In Season: Avocados

20090515-avocado.jpg

Photograph from Darwin Bell on Flickr

Now that spring has fully sprung, it's time to say goodbye to the rock-hard green avocados holding place for the dark and fully ripened gems we're now seeing in markets everywhere. Avocados are chock full of valuable nutrients, containing high amounts of vitamin K, potassium, and vitamin C, to name a few.

Avocados are the fruit (yes, fruit) from the Persea americana, a tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 65 feet high. Native to Central and South America, avocados have been cultivated and eaten in these regions since 8,000 B.C. In the middle of the 17th century, they were introduced to Jamaica and spread throughout the Asian tropical regions by the mid 1800s. Cultivation in United States, specifically in Florida and California, began in the early 20th century.

The two most widely marketed avocado varieties are the rough-skinned, almost-black Hass, which boasts a smaller pit and a more buttery texture than the smoother, thin-skinned green Fuerte. When selecting your avocados look for a dark skin that should yield to gentle pressure. [After the jump: recipes, tips, and ideas for use.]

I like to eat avocados simply on toast or with my morning eggs. However, as they continue to ripen and flood my local grocery store, I find myself using them just about any way that I can. Check out the recipes below for some ideas on how you can use avocados in your own kitchen.

Avocado Recipes, Tips, and Ideas

How do you like to eat your avocados?

32 Comments:

schmushed into a sandwich - great on smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, a burger.... any way shape or form. simply eaten with a sprinkle of salt and a spoon, right out the shell....

so freaking satisfying.

On a lot of things. I like a hot dog with chili and avocado. Or with turkey and cheese on toasted bun. On top of chili. I make my own specialty guac. Or avocado and bacon ranch dressing. Or just add them in a tortilla by themselves with some lime. Or a avocado with some lime and cucumber sandwich with a layer of cream cheese.

I'm going out to buy some NOW.

Devoured with a sprinkling of sea salt.

Though I do know someone who used to squeeze honey into the center and eat them for dessert... I've never had the nerve to try.

Rather than squeezing to tell ripeness, try testing the give/flexibility of the stem. No movement = not ripe. Very flexible = ripe.

I love them sliced with salt. Or between 2 pieces of bread but the best is fresh guacamole. The local popsicle stand does and avocado flavor made fresh that is awesome too.

I've been on an avocado kick as well. I looove the creaminess on bread and the healthy fats it offers. I love it with tomato. That's the best combo.

Oh, and Alton Brown made an Avocado "Buttercream" once on Good Eats!

Cut into chunks, with a little salt and pepper, a splash of lime juice, and a sprinkling of cilantro. Eat as is, or with tortilla chips - yum :)

I eat avocados year round, on my turkey sandwiches, with chinese food, with mexican food, on salads.

My boyfriend has made these for me and they are good but I still prefer them with savory foods. Definitely worth a try for all avocado lovers though!

Vitamina de abacate

I had an avocado milkshake with tapioca pearls in Boston's Chinatown last week. It was amazing! Avocados can totally do dessert.

A snack I enjoy is to split an avocado, remove the seed, and pour olive oil into the cavity, then sprinkle it with sea salt and black pepper, and just eat it out of the skin with a spoon.

Loopylamb is right: avocados totally rock as a dessert ingredient! As a matter of fact, I grew up in Indonesia enjoying avocados purely in desserts. It wasn't until I moved to the United States when I was a teenager that I encountered it in savory dishes (first reaction? yuck! But then I grew to love guacamole and having slices of avocados in my sandwiches and chunks of it in Cobb salad :))

In Indonesia (and other Asian countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, etc.), an avocado smoothie is a popular treat. The avocados are blended in a mixer (or simply smashed with forks/spoons) with plenty of sweetened condensed milk and ice. Optional mix-ins include drizzles of strong coffee or chocolate syrup. Creamy scoops of avocados are also must-have ingredients in many other shaved iced desserts (similar to Taiwanese slushies) here.

I've successfully used them to replace fat in baked goods -- brownies, especially.

Avocado ice cream is the best.

I eat half an avocado nearly every night as part of my pre-bed meal. I slice them open, pop out the pit, and fill the "bowl" with a little ketchup and mayo (about 1/4tsp each) to make a sauce. Its how my Mom made it growing up, though she'd throw in some Worcestershire sauce too (I haven't found a gluten free one yet).

No Avocado smoothies? Seriously? I thought this was Serious Eats.

Halved with balsamic vinegar in the cavity.

Deep Fried Avocado!!!

My boyfriend and I recently went to the Annual Avocado Festival in Fallbrook, there known for being the "Avocado City!."

We had different types of interesting stuff, Avocado Ice Cream! and Deep Friend Avocado....It was 7 bucks just for a half so later that night, I ended up making it homemade, but my boyfriend and I were pleasantly surprised! It was delicious! Not something I would eat every single day cuz of the oil, but yummy for an occasional treat! Other than I love to make guacomole or just eat in a sandwich..=)

A watchout... if you're buying FUERTE avocados, do not look for a dark skin... if it has darker spots in the skin chances are that section is also dark inside. And do not press them too much to see if they're soft to the touch, because that will bruise them on the insides too.

They should yiled gentle to pressure when touched only on the bottom side...

Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking

Instead of salt, I prefer soy sauce. It's great cubed and tossed in soy sauce and sesame oil. I have no idea if anyone else eats it like this, but I learned it from my mom.

My fiance and I have become obsessed with avocados lately. I eat them with everything. My favorities are:

- Any grilled or roasted meat with an avocado salsa
- Any salad can easily be improved by slicing avocados onto in
- guacamole (I use shallots instead of onions, and prefer it chunky)
- on scrambled eggs (with dill and tomatoes = heaven)
- sliced raw
- sliced onto a turkey sandwich (replaces the mayo!)

OMG I just love 'em.

smashed on a tortilla sprinkled with salt and lemon juice. Or, spread a tortilla with refried beans, top with thinly sliced avocado and a sprinkle of hard cheese.

Avocado on toast is the most perfect snack/meal I can think of. I really think avocados are nature's perfect food: full of nutrients, they go with everything, they can be in savory or sweet dishes...what's not to love? Maybe the origin of their name, haha!

Straight up!

Spoon in one hand.

Avacado in the other.

My ideal dessert :)

I like making avocado smoothies with whey protein after a workout. Makes it seem more sinful than it really is

@wunami - Yes, Yes! With a sprinkle of lime and some very good soy sauce. Will have to try the sesame oil as well. Also in a sandwich on some lightly toasted brioche with some bacon and a little lump crab salad (drooling now!). I hope I can find some California avocados soon - I've only seen ones from Mexico in our local markets and this peeves me no end!

diced avacado, jasmine rice, soy sauce and sesame seeds= like sushi in a bowl!

I like to slice them and then add a little raspberry vinaigrette. So yummy!
I think I will go purchase several today - I'm craving them now!

Here in Brazil, where I currently live, avocados are definitely considered fruit, and are eaten ONLY sweetened. Similar to what a previous poster said about Indonesia. The idea of a savoury avocado is considered bizarre, though I must say that every time I've served guacamole it has garnered rave reviews. The principal ways to serve avocado here are the breakfast smoothie (vitamina de abacate in Portuguese) and as a flavour of ice cream. Both are big-time yummy

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