Guacamole!

On my favorite food forum there is currently a thread on the best place to obtain guacamole. The short answer... California.

RWT's mom and stepdad are farmers in central California and have about 135 Hass avocado trees on their 40-acre farm (most of the remainder is planted with citrus and blueberries). From them, I've learned that nothing his better than a "fresh" avocado. By fresh, I mean one that has never, ever been refrigerated. Non-refrigerated avocados are richer, nuttier and buttery-er than those from a grocery store. But take one and refrigerate it, even for a short period, such as overnight, and it will taste like any other store-bought avocado. Certainly still good, but something detrimental happens to avocados when they are chilled.

However, even with "regular" avocados, I've found that you can make better guacamole at home than in most any restaurant. Below is my favorite recipe, but feel free to tweak it to your tastes. It does contain cilantro, so if you absolutely hate it, leave it out. Also some folks like to add a bit of chopped tomato to their guacamole. Personally, I think it just dilutes the flavor of the avocado.

If you are not serving the guacamole immediately, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the top of the guacamole (it is contact with the oxygen in the air that causes it to darken) and refrigerate.

GUACAMOLE
Makes 2½ to 3 cups

3 medium-sized, ripe California Hass or similar rough-skinned avocados (do not, I repeat, do not use the big smooth-skinned variety from Florida, see here for more information)

~2 tablespoons juice from 1 lime

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 medium garlic clove, minced (IHMO, this is what makes good guacamole into great guacamole!)

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 pinch cayenne (I prefer cayenne to fresh jalapenos, both for ease and because I think jalapenos can add a bit too much of a vegetal flavor)

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Halve, pit and peel the avocados, drizzle with ~1 tablespoon of the lime juice and mash to the desired consistency. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, cayenne, salt and cumin. Mix and add additional lime juice and salt to taste.

And for those who prefer graphic instructions...


Ingredients (I've used four avocados here because two were pretty small and one was over-ripe and I knew I'd not be able to use all of that one.)


Slice the avocados in half lengthwise.


Twist the halves in opposite directions to loosen one side from the pit.


Ta-dum!


(Caution: This may be the quickest, but is not the safest method of removing the pit. Proceed at your own risk or be safe and use a spoon to pop out the pit.) Gently, but firmly, whack the sharp side of your knife into the pit...


and twist to loosen the pit from the other side of the avocado.


Remove the pit and discard. (But I am certainly not advising you use such a dangerous method of pit extraction!)


Slice the halves in half so you have avocado quarters (this helps in peeling them).


Pull the peel back from the flesh. If the peel does not come off easily, you can also use a spoon to scoop out the flesh.


Don't be alarmed!!! Here is that avocado that I knew was a bit over-ripe (I could tell because it was too soft -- downright squishy, see here for more information on selecting and ripening avocados). The piece in the foreground shows a darkened over-ripe area and how it can also become a bit fibrous (and long fibers in the guacamole are not very appetizing). The piece in the background shows dark spots that are from bruising. But don't worry, all is not lost...


Simply cut off the dark areas and the rest of the avocado can be used.


Squeeze some of the lime juice over the avocado before mashing (the acidity will help to prevent the avocado from darkening).


I like to use a fork to mash the avocado. If it is too firm to mash with a fork, the avocado was not ripe enough (in a pinch, you can use a knife or food processor to chop an under-ripe avocado, but under-ripe avocados are also usually lacking in flavor and will be merely filler in your finished guacamole).


Don't worry about mashing completely, the avocado will develop a creamier consistency when the rest of the ingredients are mixed in.


And speaking of the rest of the ingredients... stir them in now.


Taste, taste, taste! You will probably need to add more lime juice and possibly salt. The richer the avocados, the more lime juice you’ll need. I like to taste it with one of the chips that I'll be serving it with, especially when trying to determine if it needs more salt since some brands of chips are much saltier than others.


And the finished guacamole. Dig in!