How to slice and deseed an avo without slicing your hand
When news broke that smashed avocado had become a health risk, with a rise in around the world, we started to rethink our technique. Maybe the age-old method of stabbing the slippery pip with a knife and twisting it while holding it in the palm of your hand needed to be rethought? If tendons and permanent nerve injuries were a threat, is it all even worth it? The simple alternative is to use a spoon instead of a knife to scoop your seed out. Or, Jamie Oliver tips that you can still use the knife method but do so while resting the avo on a bench rather than in your hand. Then, peel the skin away using a soup spoon, or scoop out teaspoons in an almost quenelle-like fashion.
Ripen raw avocados in minutes
Not too long ago, we let you in on a secret way to – it involved wrapping it in aluminium and baking it in the oven for 10 minutes. If you have a bit more time up your sleeves, another nifty trick is to pop it in a paper bag with a banana or apple. Those fruits release ethylene gas, which helps speed up the ripening process. Consider yourself a step closer to your guacamole dreams.
(Shutterstock/ Elena Pavlovich) Source: Shutterstock/ Elena Pavlovich
Or, preserve perfectly ripe ones
You’ve bought them ready to go, but it’s you who’s not quite ready. Pop your avocado in the fridge to slow down the ripening process – you’ll get a few more days, at least.
(Holger Hollemann, AAP) Source: Holger Hollemann, AAP
But, I've already cut into it...
You can still preserve the rest for a few days yet by covering your avo and storing it in the fridge. A little lemon juice or apple cider will also prevent it from browning too quickly.
(Pixabay) Source: Pixabay
What if they’re softening at a record pace? Can I freeze them?
You got suckered into buying that bag of avos on special – but the unexpected warm weather spell has sent them soft faster than you forecast. Both the California Avocado Commission and Hass Avocado Board suggest puréeing ripe avocado flesh in a blender or food processor with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per 1-2 avocados, and storing it in an airtight container with an inch of headspace. Apparently, this can buy you a whopping 4-5 months so you can use them later in guac or baked goods.
This is a favourite from the annals of Feast magazine.
(Feast Magazine) Source: Feast magazine
Will you accept this (avocado) rose?
Take your breakfast in bed up a notch with these picture-perfect . Get the step-by-step video for creating your avo blooms
Get the most avo for your buck
Depending on the season, avocados can be pricy! To get the most out of your fruit, quarter it and then peel the skin away – it’s the most waste-free cutting method.
(Holger Hollemann, AAP) Source: Getty Images / Kondor83
Introducing, the eggocado
No egg baking dishes? Your humble avo can step in. Otherwise known as an 'eggocado', this is where you drop an egg into the avocado’s hole and bake it until cooked to your liking. Go nuts with extras like spinach, dukkah and cheese. Protein plus.
Bake with them!
You may have seen avocados making the rounds in health blogs or baking recipes. That’s because their high healthy fat content ( of their fat is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) makes them a great stand-in for butter or vegetable oil. If you’re still sitting on the fence, it’s worth noting that they also contain a high water content, meaning they can give cakes, cookies and brownies that coveted soft chewiness while making them less likely to crumble.
Source: China Squirrel
Or, get scooping
Don't just stop at baked treats - avocados add creaminess to chilled desserts too, like this velvety or .
Or, up the Insta wow-factor and Gen Y appeal with a batch of these cute . Loaded with omega-3s, vitamins and minerals, you can forget about the serve of guilt on the side.
Source: Feast magazine
Source: Leanne Kitchen
And, if you want the real millennial treatment...
...give the a go. Invented by a Melbourne cafe, it's as you thought: a coffee served in an avocado - froth and all. If your local cafe isn't freely advertising them, we suggest you refrain from ordering one. It could damage your reputation.
Plus, one we forgot: the #pixelavocado
The new dicing trend sees chefs pixelating their avos by dicing them ever-so-finely. Some are using knives - others are investing in some nifty hardware to achieve the digitised end product. Melbourne's new in Hawthorn East is opting for the latter and plating theirs up with edamame hummus laced with yuzu togarashi. Whichever way you dice - Insta glory will be yours.
