According to the USDA, avocado consumption has increased by 443% from 1995-2015. Avocados have made their way into our kitchens and many recipes. Avocados are not exclusive to any particular regional menu of the United States. They are in restaurants ranging from diners to fine dining establishments and even fast food!
The Growing Season
The California avocado growing season runs from February through September, Mexico has a growing season that is consistent all year long, and their output numbers have them outgrowing the United States by 3:1! In addition to avocados from Mexico, the United States also imports this superfood from Peru, Chili, and the Dominican Republic which translates to having avocados available all year long to enjoy in our favorite recipes.
Selecting and Care of the Avocado
When buying an avocado for immediate use, choose an avocado that yields slightly when squeezed. If you can squeeze it and find that it is overly soft, it’s likely to be overripe. If it has no give at all and you feel like you are squeezing a rock; it is not ready for use. This avocado can be placed in a brown paper bag and should be ripe and ready in a few days. The addition of an apple to the bag will ripen the fruit even quicker, never try to ripen the fruit in a microwave. Once ripe, place the avocado in the refrigerator until ready to use, only refrigerate ripe or soft avocados.
Freezing an Avocado
What can you do with the avocado that is ripe and ready to use but you’re not ready to use it? The California Avocado Commission https://www.californiaavocado.com/ recommends freezing the avocado as outlined below.
- Always wash your avocado as you would any other fruit before cutting into it.
- Scoop the avocado from the peel.
- Place your scooped avocados into a bowl and drizzle with the juice of half a lemon.
- Mash the avocados to your preferred texture.
- Place in a zip-tight freezer safe bag, remove the air, that’s it!
After thawing your avocado, it is now ready to go on your toast or your other favorite dishes!
Nutritional Information
Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. One-third of avocado has approximately 80 calories, 8 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbohydrate, 1 gram of protein, and 3 grams of fiber. The net carbohydrate value makes the avocado a star of the Keto diet and is an ingredient in many keto recipes. Try using avocado in place of other fats pureed avocado can make an excellent start to a creamy salad dressing!
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