Eating Healthy and Avocados?

[riffjim4069]

I'm staying at my Virginia house on business this week. When I do, I tend to buy bulk fruits and vegetables at Costco, as much as possible. Sure, I eat some junk...but I also eats tons of fresh fruits and vegetables. The only problem with Costco is...well, you get a whole lot of product, but I usually lay out apples and oranges and whatnot for my coworkers so it usually doesn't go to waste.

The California oranges appear to be out of season (I don't like the current crop) and the apples are stored and getting a little past my freshness level (I like a crisp and not mushy apple). Therefore, I loaded-up a strawberries (4 lbs.), bell peppers (package of six), spinach and brussel sprouts. Anyway, since the oranges and apples are out-of-season (and watermelon and cantaloupe are not quite ready) I decided to pick-up a bag of 5 avocados since I keep hearing such good things about them (and Dr. Oz says I should eat them weekly) but I have no idea how to prepare them. Sure, I've had some good guacamole...but I'm not about to attempt making that stuff, and I certainly don't keep around all the needed ingredients just for me. I've occasionally had them in salad, but that's a lot of spinach salad I would have to eat and I tend the majority of my spinach. So how else do I eat avocados? Additionally, when are these things ripe? Right now they are hard as a rock (not soft on either end) and kinda they remind me of mangoes. While I like mangoes (not love 'em) they have to be ripe (almost fresh to the day) or I won't eat 'em. Plus, I like 'em with sticky rice and not just eating plain mango.

Suggestions?

 

[Bobby]

First, avocados are ripe when they give a little when pressed. I eat them in a multitude of ways because I love them. One of the simplest is to eat it all by itself, with a hint of salt. I often slice one up with tomato and cucumber with a little vinegar and oil (extra virgin olive and balsamic vinegar are perfect). They go well on hamburgers, tacos, and BLTs.

I get the idea you haven't worked at all with an avocado so here is how you cut it:

[video]http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/videos.asp?id=26[/video]

 

[riffjim4069]

Cool. Thanks for the great info Bobby! You know...I'm mainly a stuff it in my face kind of guy so I'm going to: slice chunks and put 'em in spinach salad, and place the other slices on the Angus Burgers I just bought. My biggest problem is knowing when they're ripe. Also, how long do they stay ripe? Will I have more than a day or two? And can I place them in the fridge to keep them fresh after they ripen?

 

[osu1991]

I usually take the avocado and slice it up and take a fork and mash it into a semi smooth mixture and then mix half and half with my homemade picante and eat with tortilla chips or on burgers and taco's

 

[Bobby]

The avocados will continue to soften as they get riper and riper, and that happens quickly. When they get where you want them simply refrigerate them.

 

[Rey]

when picking up avocados i always shake them to feel if the seed/nut in the center is loose. if you feel it rattle then that avocado is pretty much ready to eat. love to slice them up,drizzle a little olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice over the slices and top them off with sliced raw onions. really tasty....

 

[riffjim4069]

All good information. I woke up this morning and my Mexican Haas were still hard as a rock. Hopefully they will ripen soon...although vine ripe seems like a better option.

 

[navychop]

We eat them when the stem end softens a bit. We usually slice them in half and put a little mayo on them.

Go to an international grocery store. There's where we find the freshest FFV at the best prices. Plus, you can get stuff there you won't see at most groceries.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[riffjim4069]

We eat them when the stem end softens a bit. We usually slice them in half and put a little mayo on them.

Go to an international grocery store. There's where we find the freshest FFV at the best prices. Plus, you can get stuff there you won't see at most groceries.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

What does FFV mean? My first mango purchase was at Costco. I eat a ton of fruit and vegetables, but 8 lbs. of mango is 6 lbs. too much for someone who likes, not loves, mango. When I get a taste for mango and sticky rice I'll drop by the local asian market. Anyway, the game goes for avacados...5 is too many for one person, unless I learn how to make guacamole.

Okay, the avacados were getting ripe (and not evenly, which is a good thing) so I ate one yesterday and another one today for dinner. I've never eaten avacado unless they were served in a salad or as guacamole - always in a restaurant. I hate 'em raw. My impression? Well, they tasted like a big, soft, buttery (fatty) almond. They were okay, but I wouldn't say they lip-smacking delicious. As I mentioned, I eat tons of raw fruits and vegetables, but I also steam or sautee some vegetables usually in olive oil and/or butter. I guess I may have to learn how to make guacamole or eat it some other way.

 

[osu1991]

I'll take a stab at FFV being Farm Fresh Varieties