Did you know that avocado is a soft-textured fruit that not only has a very delicious taste, but is also rich in potassium, vitamin E, and various other important nutrients? Fresh avocados can be eaten directly as a healthy snack, or processed into more complex heavy meals. Because of their very creamy texture, avocados can also be processed into jam, taco dip, or even thick and delicious smoothies. In addition, avocados can also be added to various foods to increase the levels of good fats. No matter what kind of avocado you want to make, make sure the condition of the avocado to be used is really ripe. After that, scrape the avocado flesh and remove the seeds before processing, then always store the remaining avocado in an airtight container.
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Method 1 of 5: Chopping Avocados
Step 1. Gently press the avocado to identify the degree of ripeness
A fully ripe avocado will feel slightly soft when pressed. In particular, the texture resembles the skin that goes between your thumb and index finger when stretched. If the texture is still very firm, it means that the avocado is not ripe. Even though it is safe to eat, the consistency and taste will not be as delicious as a ripe avocado. On the other hand, if the texture is too soft, it means the avocado is overripe and doesn't want to taste delicious when eaten.
- Another way to determine the ripeness of an avocado is to pull the stem. If the skin area under the avocado stem looks healthy and green, it means the avocado is ready to eat. However, if the stem is difficult to pull out, chances are that the avocado is still not ripe. Meanwhile, if the meat under the avocado is brown, it means that the avocado is too ripe.
- Generally, the skin of a ripe avocado will be dark green or even black, and the texture is not smooth when touched.
- If your avocado isn't fully ripe, try storing it in a plastic clip bag with a banana, apple, or other fruit to ripen it faster.
Step 2. Cut the avocado into two equal parts
Hold the avocado firmly on the cutting board using the inactive side of your hand. Hold a sharp knife with the active side of your hand and slice the avocado vertically. When you touch the avocado seed, keep the blade in position, and then rotate the avocado to cut off the other parts surrounding the seed.
If the avocado doesn't split on its own after cutting, use your hands to rotate the two halves of the avocado in opposite directions until the avocado's flesh is detached from the seeds
Step 3. Pierce the avocado seed to remove it
Hold the avocado half with the seed side up. Then, stick a knife into the center of the avocado seed, and gently shake the handle of the knife until the avocado is released. Make sure the knife is inserted firmly and steadily so the tip doesn't slip on the slippery surface of the avocado seed! After that, pull out the avocado seeds by rotating your knife.
- Use a sharp, large knife instead of a smaller fruit knife. Remember, the smaller the knife, the less force it will have to pierce the avocado seed.
- Discard the avocado seeds once they are removed. Although some studies state that avocado seeds are safe for consumption, you should not try them.
Step 4. Cut the avocado without peeling the skin
If the avocado is going to be diced, use a very sharp knife to make cross cuts through the avocado flesh. However, make sure you don't cut the avocado skin too! Then, simply scrape the sliced avocado flesh with a large spoon.
Diced avocado can be served with lettuce, eggs, nachos, and a variety of other foods
Step 5. Scrape the avocado flesh with a spoon before chopping or mashing it
Use a spoon to loosen the skin of the avocado, then scrape off the whole flesh. After that, the avocado can be mashed with a fork or placed on a cutting board before chopping it up with a very sharp knife.
If the avocado is very ripe, you likely won't be able to scrape the whole flesh off, especially since it's so soft. If you want to produce neat and consistent avocado cuts, try using an avocado that is not too ripe
Method 2 of 5: Mash Avocado to Turn into Jam and Cocoa
Step 1. Mash the avocado to make jam
In fact, mashed avocado can be processed into jam to enhance the taste of toast, sandwiches, bagels, hamburgers, and other snacks, you know! To make it, all you need to do is scrape the avocado flesh and mash it with a fork until it has a soft texture. To enrich the taste, you can add a little salt, pepper, lemon juice, and chili powder.
Want to make ranch sauce? Try mashing 2 avocados and then mixing them with 1 pack of instant ranch sauce, 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon, and 1 tbsp. mayonnaise. Refrigerate the sauce for 1 hour before spreading it over hamburgers, sandwiches, or even dipping fried chicken
Step 2. Mix the lime juice, onion, tomato, cilantro, and garlic to make guacamole
In a bowl, combine 3 avocados, squeezed 1 lime, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. caraway. Then, add the chopped onion, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 tbsp. cilantro, and 1 clove of garlic. Stir all ingredients until well combined, and serve immediately with corn chips.
For a spicier taste of guacamole, add 1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper powder and chopped 1/2 of a jalapeno pepper that has been seeded
Step 3. Process fresh avocados to make a creamy lettuce sauce
To make a delicious and healthy lettuce sauce, you can process 1 large avocado, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice or lime juice, 3 tbsp. Use a blender with olive oil, salt and pepper until the texture is soft and not lumpy. If necessary, add water little by little until the consistency is to your liking. Serve the lettuce sauce immediately or store it in an airtight container for up to a week.
Method 3 of 5: Serve Avocado as Main Hidangan
Step 1. Sprinkle avocado slices or chunks over the lettuce
In fact, an avocado seasoned with a little salt and pepper makes the perfect complement to enhance the delicacy of lettuce greens, you know! To enhance the taste, you can also add a squeeze of lemon, balsamic vinegar, and/or feta cheese. If you want, you can also sprinkle some chili powder on the surface of the avocado to make it spicier.
Avocados are a common ingredient in cobb lettuce with a mixture of chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs and blue cheese
Step 2. Bake a quarter of an avocado until it's warm and crispy for making lettuce
First, cut the avocado into quarters, then peel the skin and remove the seeds. Then, lightly coat the surface of the avocado slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil or greased with oil. Bake the avocado slices at 230°C for 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the avocado from the oven and toss it into a bowl of lettuce made from wheat.
If you want the edges of the avocado to be crispier, you can bake it for up to 25 minutes. However, make sure you continue to monitor the roasting process so that the avocado doesn't burn
Step 3. Bake half an avocado for a taco filling
After splitting in half and removing the seeds, lightly coat the surface of the two avocado slices with oil, then roast the avocado with the oil side down for 30 seconds. Then, remove the avocado from the grill and allow it to cool slightly. After that, peel the avocado skin and cut the flesh. Dip the toasted avocado slices into the tortilla, then top with the tomato or fruit salsa sauce, fresh cilantro, and queso fresco cheese.
Don't have a toaster? Get a similar burn trail by roasting avocados on a very hot cast-iron skillet
Step 4. Crack the egg into the surface of half an avocado, then roast the avocado to make a delicious and healthy breakfast menu
First, preheat the oven to 230°C. While waiting for the oven to heat up, split the avocado and remove the seeds. If the cavity in the avocado is smaller than the size of the egg, use a spoon to scrape a bit of the avocado flesh around the cavity. Then, place the two avocado slices on a baking sheet and crack an egg over each one. Bake the avocado for 12 minutes or until the egg whites are fully cooked and firm.
- If you're having trouble stabilizing the avocado on the baking sheet, try making small "nests" out of aluminum foil to serve as avocado trays.
- To give the avocado a more "bite" taste, pour a little hot sauce over the surface of the avocado before cracking the egg.
Step 5. Make a creamy avocado paste
Put the flesh of 2 ripe avocados in a blender, then process the avocado with 15 grams of spinach, 20 grams of fresh basil, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt, and 240 ml of olive oil. Once the texture is smooth and not lumpy, pour the avocado sauce over the still warm surface of the pasta. If you want, you can sprinkle the surface with parmesan cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes, or chopped basil to enhance the taste.
- Choose a type of pasta that is thick and dense, such as spaghetti, soba noodles, fusilli, or farfalle so that the sauce adheres better to the surface. To make low-carb or gluten-free pasta variants, use noodles made from zucchini.
- Leftover avocado paste and sauce can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, although the color will darken slightly over time as the avocado oxidizes.
Method 4 of 5: Turning Avocado Into Drink
Step 1. Process avocado with frozen banana and milk to make a simple tasting smoothie
First, put the flesh of one avocado in a blender. Then, add 2 frozen bananas and 400 ml of milk to it. Process all ingredients until smooth, and serve the smoothie right away.
You can practice this simple smoothie recipe as a breakfast menu, a light lunch menu, or a snack after exercise, especially because it contains very high protein, carbohydrates, and good fats
Step 2. Add avocados to fruit smoothies to make them softer and thicker in texture
In fact, avocados can also be used to thicken smoothies without changing the taste of other fruits, you know! Try adding an avocado or half an avocado to various smoothie recipes to replace bananas or Greek yogurt.
For a blended berry smoothie, try processing 150 grams of mixed berry fruit (such as blueberries, raspberries, and black berries) with 30 grams of fresh spinach, 240 ml of animal or plant-based milk, 1 tbsp. maple syrup, and half an avocado in a blender. Then, process all the ingredients until the texture is soft and not lumpy
Step 3. Make a sweet Indian-style avocado lassi
Lassi is a sweet drink made from yogurt, and can be consumed as a snack or a light dessert. To make an avocado-flavored lassi, you only need to process 2 ripe avocados with 120 ml of yogurt, 240 ml of high-fat milk, 2 tbsp. (25 grams) sugar, and seeds of 4 green cardamom fruit that has been ground until smooth. Taste it and add sugar if necessary.
For those of you who are vegetarians, replace cow's milk and yogurt with various types of plant-based milks, such as soy milk or almond milk. After that, add a little lime juice to make sure it tastes like lassi
Step 4. Make a creamy, high-nutrition whipped chocolate avocado
First of all, mix one ripe avocado with 360 ml of milk, 3 tbsp. (22 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tbsp. (37 grams) brown sugar, 2 tbsp. (20 grams) melted chocolate chips, and 1 tbsp. vanilla extract. Then, press the “pulse” button on the blender to process all the ingredients until the texture is smooth and not lumpy. After all the ingredients are well mixed, add 12 pieces of ice cubes, then turn on the blender again until the avocado forms a cold and thick puree.
For those of you who are vegetarian, use vanilla almond milk or other vegetable milk. Also use a variant of chocolate chips that are not made from dairy products
Method 5 of 5: Storing Fresh Avocado Slices
Step 1. Wrap the avocado slices in plastic wrap before storing
While it's best to cut avocados just before eating, if that's not the case, at least prevent them from turning brown by wrapping them tightly with plastic wrap. Plastic wrap can prevent air from entering the avocado flesh and causing it to oxidize, so the avocado can last for at least a day in the refrigerator.
To prevent the color of the flesh from changing, put the avocado that has been wrapped in plastic wrap in a plastic clip bag. Make sure the air in the bag has been removed before the bag is tightly closed
Step 2. Soak the mashed avocado in water to increase its shelf life
To save mashed avocados, try pouring water until it fills 1.5 cm of the bottom of the bowl and submerging the avocados. The water serves as a barrier to block the outside air. When serving, simply remove the water from the bowl and stir the avocado quickly.
Step 3. Coat the avocado slices with tamarind juice to keep them fresh longer
For example, you can coat a sliced avocado with lemon, lime, or orange juice to increase its shelf life. If you want, you can also mash the avocado first and then pour the acid over it before wrapping it in plastic. You can also use other acidic liquids, such as vinegar, to get the same benefits.
In fact, tomatoes and onions also contain acids that can prevent the color of the avocado from turning brown. If you want to make guacamole ahead of time, make sure you add chopped tomatoes and onions to it
Tips
- While unripe avocados can also be safely consumed, their texture and consistency will not taste good on your tongue. Even avocados that are too ripe can actually still be consumed, as long as the brown part has been removed. However, don't eat avocados that are completely brown in color, as this indicates that the avocado is rotten.
- Of the many varieties of avocados that exist in the world, some of the most popular are the Fuerte, Ettinger, and Hass avocados. In Indonesia itself, one of the most popular varieties is the butter avocado, mainly because of its very soft texture and sweeter and more delicious taste than other avocado varieties.
