Not so long ago, this overseas fruit appeared in our stores, which is difficult to classify as both vegetables and fruits. Avocado is the fruit of an evergreen tree of the laurel family. It has an oily flesh, delicate 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 fetus? What aspects will be key when choosing? Let's try to understand this article.
Special purchase
If in the supermarket you saw a nice green fruit resembling a pear, then take a closer look at it. It is not only delicious, but also incredibly healthy. Avocado is an evergreen fruit with pulp rich in vitamins and minerals. Inside the avocado lies a large stone, which is easy to extract. In fact, it is an exotic fruit that grows in countries with a warm climate. It is difficult to establish production in Russia so far, and therefore 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, fruits are sold dense and solid. 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 tender in its consistency, and it tastes a bit like a mixture of butter with mashed greens and pine nuts.
In cooking
So, how to choose an avocado and for what dishes is this knowledge useful?
The pulp of a mature avocado is good for cold dishes, salads, snacks and, of course, sandwiches. For juiciness, you can add lemon or lime juice to avocados. Thus, it is possible to avoid oxidation, which spoils the appearance and taste of avocados. According to the frequency of preparation of avocados, the Mexican snack "Guacamole", which consists of fruit puree with salt, lime juice, seasonings and vegetables, is breaking records all over the world. For vegetarians and vegans, avocados are a real find that allows you to enrich the diet with protein, healthy fats and acids. By the way, this is a decent alternative to meat. In Brazil, based on such a fruit, sweet creams and a nutritious milkshake are prepared.
Avocados are rich in vegetable fats, vitamin E, potassium, and glutathione. Therefore, this is a unique product for the nutrition of female microflora, which is a powerful antioxidant and has antiarrhythmic properties.
Key features
So, how to choose avocados in the store? Ripe fruit can be identified both by color and by cuttings. Key factors also include softness, the presence of external defects and even the sound of bone. It is necessary to understand the points in order to understand how to choose the right avocado. Let's start with the 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 more distant it is from maturity. If the color is good, then check the hardness. A good avocado is easy to push with your fingers. But a solid 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 began to rot. Pay attention to the color under the handle itself. If it is beige or a touch of yellow, then the fruit is good. But the dark brown indicates that the fetus is ripe.
The presence of external defects is a bad sign, so choose a smooth and shiny fruit. And don't forget to shake it lightly. If a bone is knocking on the inside, then you have a good ripe avocado. If there is no knocking, then the fruit is completely green. You will have to wait several days for it to ripen.
After the purchase
It is important to know how to choose avocados in the store, but there are more secrets to handling this exotic fruit. This is a very healthy fruit, but if used improperly or excessively, it can become poisonous. So you have to follow a lot of rules. Peel the peel thoroughly and always remove the stone. It is in it that the toxins that cause allergies and digestive problems are concentrated. A peeled avocado cannot be stored for long, as it begins to darken. The maximum storage in the refrigerator is five days. If the fetus should ripen, then leave it for a couple of days at room temperature. It is logical to assume that peeling avocados is immediately before use. If you follow these rules, then the fetus will not bring harm.
Culinary value
If we already figured out how to choose an avocado, then it's time to find out 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 stone. You can also cook seasoned vegetable oil. To do this, knead the pulp with a fork until it is mashed, and then add olive oil, salt, herbs and ground pepper. Now this mass can be spread on bread or combined with vegetables. The venerable chefs use the pulp of a mature avocado as the basis for salads or nutritious cold snacks. The fruit blends perfectly with oily fish and seafood. Confectioners who make creams, mousses and milkshakes are also very fond of avocados.
Hastily
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 mashed potatoes with a fork. Cut one boiled egg, medium cucumber, a bunch of green onions. Combine all the ingredients and season them with a tablespoon of olive oil.
For a festive table, a dish with a slightly more complicated recipe is relevant - a Mexican salad with avocado and shrimp. Itβs also a great tortilla dressing! In a blender, turn into a paste two sweet peppers, four shrimps, pulp of half an avocado, a tablespoon of lime and olive oil. This mass is salted, pepper. For pungency, 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 spread on top diced pepper, half an avocado and whole king prawns. Wrap each cake in a roll and lay on a flat plate. This appetizer will surprise your guests, and you will be convinced that avocados can and should be included in your diet.