To make guacamole, mash ripe avocados with a fork or potato masher. Choose ripe avocados that give a little pressure. Add salt, pepper, lemon or lime juice, and other ingredients like pepper, cilantro, and garlic. For a creamier version, add sour cream or yogurt. Use small to medium avocado halves per serving for dips that will sit out for several hours.
The simplest form of guacamole is made by peeling and pitting ripe avocados, then mashing them. Some people prefer a sturdier version, while others prefer a more finely mashed product. For chunky guacamole, a fork is usually the best choice for mashing. Potato mashers work well for less lumpy versions. Other ingredients add interest to this dip, and plenty of suggestions await the adventure cook.
Choosing ripe avocados is important. When looking for avocados in the store, look for they should give a little pressure from your fingers. When avocados aren’t in season, be sure to purchase them several days before planning to make guacamole and ripen them in a paper bag. Avocados that stay hard don’t mash well and will result in unpleasant chunks of hard avocado in the final product.
Overripe avocado squashing too much leads to menacing guacamole. It won’t adhere well to the chips, but it can still bulk up the food. Generally, aim to mash avocados only until large chunks have been incorporated, especially if you plan to serve it as a dip with chips.
Some cooks add a little salt and pepper to their guacamole. If you’re going to serve it with chips or on any relatively salty dish, consider adding just a little salt. Too much salt in the dip doesn’t go well with salty tortilla chips. Another common addition is lemon or lime juice to taste. This will help keep it from turning brown. Alternatively, you can save the dip color by covering it with plastic wrap or storing it in an airtight container. The shelf life of this food, even with these steps, is still only a day or two at most.
If you’re planning on serving guacamole with Tex-Mexican food, like fajitas, common additions include pepper, diced cilantro, lime juice, hot pepper, and minced garlic. Some cooks also like to add some chopped tomatoes or onions to produce a stronger dip. A very simple trick is to add a couple tablespoons of store-bought or homemade salsa to the mix. You can also substitute the onion, garlic, or chili powder in the dip for fresh onions, garlic, or chili powder.
Some people prefer a creamier version and may add sour cream or yogurt. This can also stretch the avocados if the avocados used haven’t ripened enough. The sour cream will add some fat to the recipe, but the nonfat yogurt can add flavor and reduce the dish’s overall fat content. Unlike the mashing instructions above, you’ll want to mash your avocados to a finer texture before incorporating sour cream or yogurt.
If you plan to serve guacamole as a dip and it will sit out for several hours, consider using small to medium avocado halves per serving. As a topping, the serving size is usually about 2 tablespoons or 2 ounces (about 56 g), and the medium-sized avocado will make about 1 cup of guacamole (226 g). For a dip that will sit out for several hours at a party, consider using about three to five avocados so the dip doesn’t run out. For smaller parties or just for topping, you’ll only need about two or three avocados.
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