© Sunshine Urbaniak
Guacamole
I can’t tell you how many compliments I get on my guacamole. It’s really not a secret or a secret ingredient. It’s really all about the adjustments made after you let it rest. Depending on the ripeness of your avocado or the tartness of your limes, guacamole can taste different every time you make it. The trick is to let it rest after making the base recipe. You need to test taste it for more salt, more lime juice, or sometimes you just need more garlic.
Avocado meat has a distinct flavor and it’s at its best when you use them at peak ripeness. Underripe avocado meat has little flavor. Overripe avocado meat is similar to an overripe banana—funky overpowering flavor. So it’s important to make guacamole with avocados that are in the sweet spot of ripeness. The best way to know if your avocados are ripe is to look at the color and texture of the skin, plus do a squeeze test. The skin should be dark green to nearly black, and there should be a bumpy texture—not smooth. That means it’s overripe. When you give it a gentle squeeze, it should yield gentle pressure without leaving indentations or feeling mushy.
Guacamole
Servings: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Cut avocados lengthwise, around pit. Separate the halves and cut lengthwise again along the pit half, allowing the pit to come out easily. Cut the non-pit half in half as well, and peel off the skin from all four quarters.
Place the peeled avocado into a large bowl and squeeze half a lime over them, plus 1 tsp of lemon juice (optional, helps to keep from browning). Let sit while you cut onions, garlic, cilantro, and tomato.
With a potato masher, mash the avocados to the consistency you desire (smoother or chunkier). Then fold in the onion, garlic, tomato, cilantro, salt, cumin, and cayenne. Let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Taste. Add more salt or lime juice depending on your taste and/or avocado ripeness.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut avocados lengthwise, around pit. Separate the halves and cut lengthwise again along the pit half, allowing the pit to come out easily. Cut the non-pit half in half as well, and peel off the skin from all four quarters.
Place the peeled avocado into a large bowl and squeeze half a lime over them, plus 1 tsp of lemon juice (optional, helps to keep from browning). Let sit while you cut onions, garlic, cilantro, and tomato.
With a potato masher, mash the avocados to the consistency you desire (smoother or chunkier). Then fold in the onion, garlic, tomato, cilantro, salt, cumin, and cayenne. Let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Taste. Add more salt or lime juice depending on your taste and/or avocado ripeness.
Notes
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