Avocado: how to choose a ripe fruit?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Not so long ago, this overseas fruit appeared in our stores, which is difficult to classify as a vegetable or fruit. Avocado is the fruit of an evergreen tree in the laurel family. It has buttery flesh, tender and refreshing in taste. But this is provided that the fruit is ripe. How to choose an avocado? Pay attention to the color or maybe the softness of the fruit? What aspects will be key when choosing? Let's try to understand this article.

Special Purchase

If you saw a cute green fruit resembling a pear in the supermarket, then take a closer look at it. It is not only delicious, but also incredibly he althy. Avocado is an evergreen fruit with a pulp rich in vitamins and minerals. Inside the avocado lies a large bone, which is easy to remove. In fact, it is an exotic fruit that grows in countries with a warm climate. In Russia, it is still difficult to establish production, andbecause the price tag for the product is relatively high. So, the question of how to choose an avocado is very relevant. Demand for products is growing.

Often the fruits go on sale dense and hard. If an avocado is like a wooden one, then from the inside it looks like an unripe pear or pumpkin. A good ripe fruit is very delicate in texture, and it tastes a bit like a mixture of butter with mashed greens and pine nuts.

Cooking

So, how to choose an avocado and what dishes will this knowledge be useful for cooking?

The pulp of a ripe avocado is good for cold dishes, salads, snacks and, of course, sandwiches. For juiciness, you can add lemon or lime juice to the avocado. Thus, oxidation can be avoided, which spoils the appearance and taste of avocados. The Mexican appetizer Guacamole, which consists of fruit puree with s alt, lime juice, seasonings and vegetables, breaks records in terms of the frequency of preparation of avocados all over the world. For vegetarians and vegans, avocados are a real find that allows you to enrich your diet with protein, he althy fats and acids. By the way, this is a decent alternative to meat. In Brazil, sweet creams and a nutritious milkshake are prepared on the basis of such a fruit.

Avocado is rich in vegetable fats, vitamin E, potassium and glutathione. Therefore, it is a unique product for feeding the female microflora, which is a powerful antioxidant and has antiarrhythmic properties.

Key Features

So, how to choose an avocado in the store? A ripe fruit can be identified both by color and stem. Softness, the presence of external defects and even the sound of the bone are also key factors. It is necessary to understand the points in order to understand how to choose the right avocado. Let's start with color. It depends on the degree of maturity and can vary from light green to dark with shades of purple or brown. The lighter the fruit, the further it is from maturity. If everything is fine in color, then check the hardness. A good avocado is easily squeezed by the fingers. But a hard copy can also be bought and left to ripen at home to an acceptable state. If the fruit is very soft, then it is too late to take it. He probably started to rot. Pay attention to the color under the handle. If it is beige or with a hint of yellow, then the fruit is good. But dark brown indicates that the fruit is overripe.

The presence of external defects is a bad sign, so choose a smooth and shiny fruit. And don't forget to give it a little shake. If a bone is loudly knocking inside, then you have a good ripe avocado in front of you. If there is no knock, then the fruit is completely green. You will have to wait more than one day for it to ripen.

After purchase

It's important to know how to choose an avocado in the store, but that's not all the secrets to handling this exotic fruit. This is a very useful fruit, but if used improperly or excessively, it can become poisonous. So there are a lot of rules to follow. Peel the skin thoroughly and always remove the pit. It is in it that toxins are concentrated that cause allergies and digestive problems. A peeled avocado cannot be stored for a long time, as it begins to darken. The maximum storage in the refrigerator is five days. If the fruit should ripen, then leave it for a couple of days at room temperature. It is logical to assume that avocados should be peeled immediately before use. If you follow these rules, then the fruit will not bring harm.

Culinary value

If we have already figured out how to choose an avocado, then it's time to find out with what and how to eat it. It is worth noting that the fruits are rarely subjected to heat treatment. The easiest way is to eat the fruit with a spoon, removing the bone. You can also cook vegetable oil with spices. To do this, mash the pulp with a fork until it looks like a puree, and then add olive oil, s alt, herbs and ground pepper. Now this mass can be spread on bread or combined with vegetables. Veterinary cooks use the pulp of a ripe avocado as a base for salads or nutritious cold appetizers. The fruit goes well with fatty fish and seafood. Avocados are also loved by confectioners who make creams, mousses and milkshakes on this base.

In a hurry

So you bought an avocado. How to choose a ripe fruit is already clear, but what to cook from this product is not yet clear. Start with a simple and quick salad, which, however, is suitable for a full meal. Peel the fruit from the peel and bones, mash in a puree with a fork. Chop one boiled egg, a medium cucumber, a bunch of green onions. Combine all the ingredients and season them with a tablespoon of olive oil.

For the festive table, a dish with a slightly more complex recipe is relevant - a Mexican salad with avocado and shrimp. It's also a great dressing for tortillas! In a blender, turn two sweet peppers, four shrimp, the pulp of half an avocado, a tablespoon of lime and olive oil into a paste. This mass is s alted and peppered. For spiciness, you can add chili pepper powder. This salad can be eaten with a spoon or spread on tortillas. In the second case, you need to distribute diced peppers, half an avocado and whole king prawns on top. Wrap each cake in a roll and spread on a flat plate. Such an appetizer will surprise your guests, and convince you that avocados can and should be included in your diet.