Scratch Guacamole - Labor Intensive

[Dave W]

Tableside guacamole is less tasty than guacamole that has been marrying in the fridge for hours. 

[kayb]

Everybody may know the answer to this, but I dont. How do you keep it from turning dark while it's mellowing in the fridge?

[TicTac]

Acid - needs some lime (preferably) and avoid contact with air - a direct contact application of cling wrap will help in this effort.

 

 

[btbyrd]

It needs an antioxidant. It's the ascorbic acid in lime juice that helps, not the acidity itself. I add a dash of vitamin C to any batch that I'm not going to eat immediately.

 

Vacuum sealing is also an option.

Edited November 18, 2017 by btbyrd (log)

[weedy]

the serious Mexican chefs I've talked with agree that although plenty of lime juice will keep it from turning brown, it will also become the predominant flavour.

 

Instead they mash right before serving.

 

To me that's always the best.

Assemble and serve.

 

If you have to keep it, press cling film tight against the surface and refrigerate.

 

Edited November 21, 2017 by weedy (log)

[weedy]

I also think the best guacamole is chunky, not a puree.

 

Alex Stupak makes his here by pressing avocado through a roasting rack grid.

that's all.

 

 

 

[Lisa Shock]

I was wondering if you've done a cost comparison of various sizes of avocados. I notice that with small ones, sometimes the pit is small, so most of the fruit is edible. Many times, however, the pit is large, meaning that there is less to eat. Obviously, the ratio is better with larger fruit, and, less prep time would be involved since fewer fruits would need to be opened, pitted, and scooped.

 

I like the grid rack technique; speedy and consistent.

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Here's another option: Last night as we were returning from a concert in Morelia we stopped for gas across the highway from what we'd heard was an avocado packing facility. While chatting with the guy pumping gas we learned that it will produce canned avocado puree. I'm assuming this won't be the chunky style most of us  prefer for guacamole, but evidently this produces a product that is shelf stable and available all year when avocado production is in one of its low cycles. I don't know if this appeals to you, but it's an option. Clearly there's automation involved--I can't really see hundreds of people with knives and spoons processing tons of avocados, despite labor being pretty inexpensive around here. The facility is huge--easily twice as long as a football field and equally wide. We've watched it being built for the past couple of years. The first clue that something important was being built was the massive stone wall around it and the secure entry system in front.

 

I also have a nifty avocado ice cream recipe that is dairy free and vegan, and stupid easy to make, if you want add it to your menu. The puree would be ideal for this.

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro (in the middle of avocado production in Michoacán)

[Kerry Beal]

Every restaurant show I see vacuum packed avocados - they would work well.

[pastrygirl]

Work faster.

 

Edited November 22, 2017 by pastrygirl (log)

[paulraphael]

I always prep the non-avocado ingredients ahead of time (sometimes by food processor) and store in the fridge. Then the avocados can be peeled and mashed and mixed in right before serving. It's like having a kit ... easy peasy, nothing to think about, and it tastes fresh. 

 

If you combined the robot-couped ingredients with peeled, flattened, and vacuum packed avocados, it would truly be a kit.

[weedy]

Yep.

that's what I do as well.

It can all even be mixed in proportion to just add avocado.

The only other thing I don't pre cut is fresh coriander.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

9 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Every restaurant show I see vacuum packed avocados - they would work well.

 

Not to be glib, somewhere I thought I saw @nathanm say they tried sous vide and it didn't work.

 

[Lisa Shock]

Another option is to use a different type of avocado preparation, like a thinner avocado salsa, or a few slices of avocado, for the dishes you are using the guacamole in and leave the stuff served as a side and as guacamole salad alone.

[chromedome]

Completely OT, but every time my eye sees this title I read it briefly as "Scotch guacamole" and have a bit of a moment. 

 

Of course, I see it for the first time each day while I'm winching my eyelids open with my first mug of strong tea, so there's probably some sort of connection there. 

[Kerry Beal]

4 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Not to be glib, somewhere I thought I saw @nathanm say they tried sous vide and it didn't work.

 

This stuff isn't cooked

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

This stuff isn't cooked

 

Obviously.  If memory serves, Nathan and team were trying to speed ripen avocados.  Sous vide was successful for ripening some other fruit but avocados were a failure.  (I hope I'm not confusing Nathan with Dave Arnold.)  Anyhow last night's avocado was not quite ripe enough so it's still sitting on the cutting board.

[BeeZee]

I had an avocado mishap that forced me to deal with very ripe flesh of one immediately, I squished it into a freezer ziploc bag, forced as much air out as I could, and threw in the freezer immediately. It did not turn brown. However, after defrosting 2 days later, it seemed that it started to oxidize much faster than one freshly cut (I'm thinking the mushed texture contributed to that). Stirred a little lemon juice in to arrest that. It was fine used as blobs on top of a bowl of chili, but I vote for freshly cut for guacamole.

[weedy]

6 hours ago, chromedome said:

Completely OT, but every time my eye sees this title I read it briefly as "Scotch guacamole" and have a bit of a moment. 

 

 

 

I like all kinds of things mixed into guacamole. 

(Usually only ONE though, at a time). 

 

I’ve made it with peanuts. With pistachios. With pomegranate. With mango. With chicharrons. 

 

Now or you have me thinking about adding haggis. 

 

Altiough, being English, it’s  difficult to pass up the easy joke that Scotch (well, Scottish, i’d probably actually say) Guacamole leaves out the avocado to save money. 

Groan.  I know. 

But it’s no worse (the same really!) than Welsh Rabbit. 

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

On 11/21/2017 at 5:04 PM, Kerry Beal said:

Every restaurant show I see vacuum packed avocados - they would work well.

Here you go - high pressure pasteurization - inactivates enzyme that causes browning. Here

[weedy]

that looks particularly like school cafeteria guacamole though.

not something I'd want in a restaurant... or in my home.