Thursday, September 13, 2012

Store Cut Avocados







Avocados will begin to discolor soon after you slice them.


The flesh of a whole, uncut avocado will not turn brown until the avocado is significantly overripe and ready to be discarded. The flesh of a cut avocado, however, may begin to discolor within moments after you slice it open. While this discoloration does not particularly affect the flavor of the avocado, it can be unsightly and unappetizing. Also, because avocados do not ripen on the tree and instead need to ripen once they have fallen, your cut avocado can quickly progress from perfectly ripe to overly ripe if you do not store it properly.


Instructions








1. Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice over the exposed flesh of your cut avocado. The citric acid in these fruits will help prevent discoloration. Either fruit works, so choose the one that will go best with your intended use of the avocado pieces. For example, if you plan to make guacamole with lime juice, use lime juice to prevent discoloration.


2. Wrap the avocado pieces in plastic wrap. Press the plastic wrap firmly against the flesh of the avocado to remove any air.


3. Place the avocado pieces into your airtight container and put the container in the refrigerator if the avocados are ripe and you wish to delay further ripening. If the avocados are not quite ripe, place the container somewhere that stays at a warm room temperature without direct sunlight for several hours to allow them to ripen further, then place them into the refrigerator for longer storage.

Tags: avocado pieces, lime juice, after slice, begin discolor, flesh avocado, plastic wrap, prevent discoloration