Avocados are getting really popular these days. Know why? It is the goodness of this delicious fruit that has made it everyone’s new favourite. Avocado contains good fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in it. This makes it a really healthy fruit! Consuming avocado on a regular basis is great for your health, from improving your digestion to boosting your heart health to managing your weight, it has a lot of benefits. But before you reap all these benefits, you need to deal with a couple of things. From picking the right avocados, to ripening the unripe ones to cutting and storing them, you need to know it all. Don’t worry, Chef Raji talked to HerZindagi and shared this easy guide that has everything you want to know about avocados. Read on.
How To Buy The Right Avocado?
A light squeeze
The best way is to check the softening of the fruit is with light pressure; press the avocado with your thumb. If the mark stays indented then the avocado is ripe. If it is too soft, it may be overripe.
Colour Matters
Colour is the key here, Plan it well, and as the avocados are expensive to consume so until you are not planning to consume it on the same day don’t buy a ripe avocado. A ripe avocado will be dark green or dark purple and if you want to buy a raw avocado than the colour would be light green.
Ripening Avocados
Leave it alone
Store the avocado at room temperature, and leave it for some time. Check it after 2-3 days and then store in the fridge, and storing in the fridge will slow down the ripening process it will stay for at least 4 days.
Give it some company
Place it in a newspaper or a paper bag and give it a company of ethylene gas. Some of the fruits that produce ethylene gas are bananas, apple, and pear. And place this in your kitchen cupboard; this will help the avocado to ripe. Don't Miss Love Avocado? Here Are 5 Reasons Why You Should Eat This Superfood
How To Cut?
Cutting Avocados
When you plan to eat this yummy, creamy flesh, cut it lengthwise till you hit the pit, after slicing all the way around, hold the avocado in your one palm and use the other palm to twist it and rotate the halves apart.
Taking The Pit Out
Now the tricky technique, hold the Avocado and tap the pit with the knife till it get stuck in the pit now slowly rotate the knife and it will come out easily.
Slicing It
Now finally you can slice it, cut it in cubes, or mash it. To slice hold the half cut avocado in your palm and score the knife till it touch the skin on the base, be gentle.
Storing It
Now if you want to save the half avocado and have it later, make sure you drizzle some lemon juice that will avoid oxidation (turn dark in colour) and cover it with a tight wrap, placing it straight on the flesh and cover it down to the skin, and that will store for 1-2 days.
Chef Raji, an avid cook all her life, she started her gastronomic journey learning traditional Indian dishes and some baking at her home. She has even got training from celebrity chefs in Europe. Chef Raji’s talent and hard-work have consolidated her reputation as an accomplished chef in the food industry. She intends to use her coveted platform to encourage all women to let nothing stop them and pursue their dreams fearlessly.