I was given 13 pounds of avocados today - I believe I’ve mentioned that my job has odd perks and this time it was fruit. Anyhow, I like guacamole as much as the next guy (possibly more, depending on who I’m standing with), but 13 pounds of the stuff is a hell of a lot. Anybody have any suggestions for what to do with these things?
How about a spa day? An avocado full body wrap? Very good for the skin and hair, you know. Plus, priceless photographs! And, you can lick yourself clean!
Can they be refrigerated to retard ripening? Other than that, I got nothing. If you leave them alone, they’ll all ripen at the same time. (Well, ones wrapped in paper bags will ripen faster, and adding a banana will speed it, too. But that’s not going to spread things out much with 13 pounds.)
I vote for throwing a party.
Yes. Send them to me.
Lookintomyeyesnotmyfacebutmyeyesyouaregettingsleepyasyoulookintomyeyesand… You’re under! Now send me the avacados. One… two… three! snap
3 words: Avocado Cream Pie.
I have to go to a meeting in a few minutes and then teach a class. I’ll post the recipe here after the class.
Actually, right now would be a good time to find out how those things can be preserved. What are the approved methods, if any?
The wild fires in SoCal just wiped out 1/3 of the state crop (approx. 20,000 acres) and another 15,000 acres are threatened.
If there was a way to preserve those avocados til February, you might be the only guy on the block with guacamole for the Super Bowl.
Alton Brown made avocado ice cream.
Yllaria - Already am, on Saturday. Any recipe suggestions? Other than monty’s forthcoming Avocado Cream Pie (which sounds more than a little intriguing)
13 pounds? Start giving some away and beef up your good will tally. I get about 4-5 avocados a week and end up throwing at least one. Avocados is just one of those things that don’t play well with others.
Avocados in the fridge go the way of the bananas. They turn black, mushy and tasteless. You can do it for one day without the effects being crippling, but more than that and you might as well just throw them away.
For recipes, I give you Reina Pepiada:
http://starchefs.com/features/picnics/html/arepa_chips_e_leal.shtml
Feel free to drop the arepa chips and just use regular mexican tortillas.
also, guasacaca:
Sautee green peppers and onions and a bit of garlic.
Season with salt, pepper, cumin and coriander.
Let cool and then blend with vinegar, cilantro and avocados.
You will never see guacamole the same way.
Great for anything on the grill. Beef, Pork, Sausages, Chicken.
Also great for casava, boiled or deep fried.
I used to order a dish that was basically fish and avocados on cream au gratin, but the subtleties of it have escaped me when I tried to make it at home.
If you have a Food Saver, or even some good “zipper” freezer bags, you can make guacamole (or just scoop out avocado flesh and mush it up a bit) and freeze it. The key is to get rid of all the air, which is why it works best to package and freeze it in a “mushy” form, rather than slices or cubes. A good whack of lime juice in the guac will also help keep it good.
If air gets to it, your avocado will go brown and yucky in short order.
If your bags are pressed flat as you squeeze out the air, the guac will thaw faster than if it was left in a big lump.
Don’t listen to him! Send them to me!
Or you could make avocado bisque. Puree the avocado flesh with garlic, lime juice, creme fraiche, Bacon Salt, cayenne, a small amount of good olive oil, and heavy cream (or a mix of cream and whole milk). Serve in a soup bowl and garnish in the center with a spoonful of chopped tomato (peeled and seeded) tossed with salt, pepper, olive oil, and basil.
Or make avocado panna cotta. I like to make small cups of it and serve it as a “surprise” below the surface of what looks like ordinary gazpacho.
Sorry, we used to have avocado trees in the yard when I was growing up. My favorite recipe is:
Cut around avocado, length-wise. Twist open. Remove pit by hitting with knife and twisting. Score avocado flesh with knife. Sprinkle salt on top, wait for the salt to draw puddles of moisture from avocado. Grab spoon and eat.
Interesting fact that I didn’t know until we moved there: avocadoes do not begin to ripen until they’ve been picked. You can leave them on the tree for weeks or months and they’ll stay hard and fresh. Pick them and they’ll ripen in a few days to a week.
Sliced or mashed avocado goes well on steak or baked potato. Oh, that avocado bisque recipe looks nice. Did the original recipe have the bacon salt? Hmmm?