Spring Produce: Avocados (Daily Dish)
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Spring Produce: Avocados (Daily Dish)
| Tue, 05-10-2005 - 7:18am |
Spring Produce: Avocados
The creamy flesh of an avocado is deceiving. How can such a delicious food be good for you? The truth is, ounce for ounce, avocados are one of the healthiest foods available. Not only are they rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, they also contain large amounts of potassium, vitamin E, fiber, folic acid, and vitamin B6. Avocados are allowed on all phases of The South Beach Dietâ„¢, and one-third of an avocado equals one fat serving due to its high percentage of monounsaturated fat.
Buying: There are 24 varieties of avocados. The two you're most likely to find in the supermarket are the Haas (pebbly black skin) and Fuerte (green skin) varieties, both grown in California and Florida. California avocados peak in spring and summer and are typically richer than those from Florida. When selecting any variety of avocado, choose heavy, unblemished fruit. If the avocado yields to gentle pressure, it's ready to be sliced. If pressure leaves a small dent, it should be mashed. If it leaves a larger dent, it's probably too ripe. Unripe avocados can be bought in advance, but they must be allowed time to ripen before eating.
Storing: You can ripen hard avocados at room temperature for three to six days. Unripe fruit should never be stored in the refrigerator, as they will never ripen. You can store ripe fruit in the refrigerator for up to three days. If your avocados are already cut, be sure to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap to avoid contact with air. Air will cause the flesh to turn an unappetizing brown, though this doesn't affect the nutrition or flavor of the avocado.
The creamy flesh of an avocado is deceiving. How can such a delicious food be good for you? The truth is, ounce for ounce, avocados are one of the healthiest foods available. Not only are they rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, they also contain large amounts of potassium, vitamin E, fiber, folic acid, and vitamin B6. Avocados are allowed on all phases of The South Beach Dietâ„¢, and one-third of an avocado equals one fat serving due to its high percentage of monounsaturated fat.
Buying: There are 24 varieties of avocados. The two you're most likely to find in the supermarket are the Haas (pebbly black skin) and Fuerte (green skin) varieties, both grown in California and Florida. California avocados peak in spring and summer and are typically richer than those from Florida. When selecting any variety of avocado, choose heavy, unblemished fruit. If the avocado yields to gentle pressure, it's ready to be sliced. If pressure leaves a small dent, it should be mashed. If it leaves a larger dent, it's probably too ripe. Unripe avocados can be bought in advance, but they must be allowed time to ripen before eating.
Storing: You can ripen hard avocados at room temperature for three to six days. Unripe fruit should never be stored in the refrigerator, as they will never ripen. You can store ripe fruit in the refrigerator for up to three days. If your avocados are already cut, be sure to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap to avoid contact with air. Air will cause the flesh to turn an unappetizing brown, though this doesn't affect the nutrition or flavor of the avocado.
Preparing: Avocados can be eaten plain, as a salad topping, or mashed into guacamole. To pit an avocado, slice it lengthwise from end to end and twist to separate the two halves. Using a heavy knife blade, tap the tip into the pit and twist gently to remove. To remove the flesh, you can either peel the fruit or use a paring knife to slice up small pieces inside the skin and scoop them out with a spoon. Mushy flesh should always be scooped. To avoid darkening of the flesh after contact with air, rub with lemon juice or add lemon juice to your guacamole.



Avocados - yum!
One of my favorite summer salads is sliced avocado with sliced red onion, some garbanzo beans and a