Where in the world would we be without avocados? Avocados are very popular, especially at this time of year.  Avocados, the main ingredient in guacamole, are in the center of the argument about who makes it best. Everyone is convinced his or her special or secret recipe for guacamole is the best, and even though there might not be a right answer, it is a discussion worth having either way. But if you are not up to making guacamole from scratch, Nino’s has several prepared guacamoles that are readily available to just grab and go, including our very own Nino’s Fresh Guacamole, which is located in our salsa and dip cases.

Although avocados are most commonly used for guacamole, there are many other ways one can enjoy avocados. My favorite way to eat avocados is to simply choose a perfectly ripe one (all black, slightly tender) and just slice it in half, remove the large pit, squeeze a fresh lime over the cut halves and enjoy. You can also enjoy them with a salad or sandwich.

Choosing the Right Avocados

When you are shopping for avocados, it might be hard to find a perfectly ripe one. Although I try my best to ensure that my avocados are at the perfect ripeness, sometimes they are just too green or not ripe enough. I am going to teach you a little trick to help speed up the ripening process. Simply place a banana in a brown paper bag along with the avocados you want ripened. Then, tightly roll up the bag so that no air can penetrate it. The natural gas that is released from bananas is called ethylene. Ethylene will speed up the ripening process for those greener avocados and for pretty much any other fruit.

Which Variety?

The Haas variety is the most common type found in stores today. There are over a dozen different varieties grown in Mexico and California, but most of us are familiar with Haas.

The best part about avocados is that you can now enjoy them year round. Don’t forget to add this healthy fruit to your diet.