How to Make the Best Guacamole

Guacamole! Did you know that over 2 billion pounds of avocados are consumed in the US every year? (Google it.) That’s over £7 per person. I’m guessing most of these avocados go in America’s most popular dip: guacamole.

The word “guacamole” and the dip both originated in Mexico, where avocados have been grown for thousands of years. The name derives from two Aztec Nahuatl words:ahuacatl (avocado) and Molly (Sauce).

Ingredients for Easy Guacamole

All you really need to make guacamole is ripe avocados and salt. Afterward, a little lime or lemon juice—a squeeze of tartness—helps balance out the richness of the avocado. If you like, add chopped coriander, chilies, onions and/or tomatoes.

How to choose perfectly ripe avocados

The trick to making a perfect guacamole is to use avocados that have just the right amount of ripeness. Not ripe enough and the avocado will be hard and tasteless. Too ripe and the flavor will be gone.

Check ripeness by gently squeezing the outside of the avocado. If there is no yielding, the avocado is not yet ripe. If there is a little yielding, the avocado is ripe. If there is a lot of yielding, the avocado may be overripe and not good. In this case, do a taste test first before using.

To cut open an avocado, use a sharp chef’s knife to cut it in half lengthwise and twist it apart. One side will have the pit. To remove them, you can gently tap and twist the pit with your chef’s knife to loosen it (protect your hand with a towel), or you can cut the avocado into quarters and remove the pit with your fingers or a spoon .

Still curious? Read more about slicing and peeling an avocado

Other ways to use guacamole

Guacamole has a role in the kitchen that goes beyond a party dip. It’s great on nachos and also makes a great topping or side dish for enchiladas, tacos, grilled salmon, or oven-baked chicken.

Guacamole is great in also groceries. Try mixing some of this into a tuna sandwich or your next batch of deviled eggs.

How to store guacamole

The best way to eat guacamole is right after you make it. Like apples, avocados begin to oxidize and turn brown once cut. However, the acidity in the lime juice that you add to guacamole can help slow this process. And if you store the guacamole properly, you can easily make it a few hours in advance when preparing for a party.

The trick to keeping guacamole green is to make sure no air gets in contact with it! Transfer it to a container, cover with plastic wrap and Press on the plastic wrap to squeeze out any trapped air. Make sure all exposed surfaces of the guacamole are touching the plastic wrap and not the air. This reduces tanning to a minimum.

You can keep the guacamole in the fridge this way for up to three days. If the guacamole develops discoloration, you can either scrape off the brown bits and discard them, or stir into the remaining guacamole before serving.

Guacamole Variations

Once you have a basic guacamole, you can experiment with variations by adding strawberries, peaches, pineapple, mangoes, or even watermelon. A classic Mexican guacamole contains pomegranate seeds and peach chunks (a favorite of Diana Kennedy). You can get creative with your homemade guacamole!

• Easy Guacamole: The simplest version of guacamole is simply mashed avocados with salt. Don’t let the lack of other ingredients put you off making guacamole.
• Quick Guacamole: For a super quick guacamole, just take a 1/4 cup of salsa and mix it with your mashed avocados.
• Don’t have enough avocados? To expand a limited supply of avocados, add either sour cream or cottage cheese to your guacamole dip. Purists may be appalled, but so what? It still tastes great.

Here are a few other guacamole recipes to try

• Spicy Three Chile Guacamole
• Strawberry Guacamole
• Guacamole with charred sweetcorn, bacon and tomato
• Copycat Chipotle Guacamole
• Guacamole with bacon and blue cheese

Video: How to make perfect guacamole