Many people might assume that avocados are a recent human discovery. However, to everyone's surprise, there have been multiple archaeologist expeditions that have found people of Mesoamerican tribes used to cultivate avocados thousands of years ago. The annual global market of avocados is quite huge and the cultivation of this fruit has become very lucrative. Initially, the fruit was only grown in various countries of South America.
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Then, Colombia and Peru became some of the largest contributors of avocados to the world. In India, some of the top states cultivating avocados include Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Avocados can be a great addition to one's diet. However, using avocados for the very first time can be a bit tricky as it is not like any other regular fruit. Here are some useful tips and tricks for using avocados at home.
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* Ripening Avocados
Very often, the avocados bought from the market are not perfectly ripe. This can lead to a problem for a lot of people who would like to have properly ripe avocados on an instant basis. So a quick way to make an unripe avocado soft and mushy from the inside is to simply wrap it in foil paper and bake it in the oven. Baking the avocado for 10 to 15 minutes is going to instantly transform the texture of the avocados. If one wants to have even better results, then cut the avocado in half before keeping it in the oven. Make sure that the temperature is not too high. After this, keep the avocado in the fridge for some time before using it.
* Keeping With Bananas
This hack is quite effective for people who do not have a microwave or an oven at home. Although it is not as fast and output-oriented as the oven hack, it is quite useful for people who have a period of 10 to 12 hours to let the avocados ripe. One has to simply keep the avocados in a paper bag along with bananas. Now simply keep this bag in a dark place overnight and let it be there undisturbed. One has to make sure that the bananas are properly ripe.
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* Slicer
A lot of people have difficulty getting the flesh of the avocados out. Most of the time it is not really about the quality of avocados that decides how well and smoothly the flesh will come out. It is the slicer that one chooses that makes all the difference. One should always invest in a very good and smooth slicer as it is always going to cut the avocados precisely and will also ensure that the fingers and hands are safe. A good fruit slicer is not sharp but is perfectly designed to cut different types of fruits such as avocados properly.
* Freezing
Avocados have a good shelf life if they are frozen properly. Keeping avocados under room temperature is going to spoil their taste and texture quite fast. A lot of times people throw away the leftover avocados in the trash, thinking that it's of no use at all. But what people don't realise is that throwing away the leftover avocados is contributing to increasing kitchen waste. One can simply make a guacamole or an avocado smoothie and store it in the refrigerator instead of throwing it away.
* Colour Of The Avocados
The colour of the avocados is also a significant determinant in determining if the food is ready to be consumed or not. A person can simply check whether an avocado is ripe or not by looking at its colour. If the colour of the avocado is properly green and bright, then it simply means that the avocado is properly ripe. On the other hand, if the colour of the avocado is not that bright and is rather pale, then it simply means that the avocado is not ready to be consumed. Texture-wise, the avocados that feel a bit soft and not too mushy are perfect for consumption.
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* Washing Avocados
Now a lot of people might think that this step is unnecessary as it is not the outer shell of the avocados that is consumed. Only the inner flesh of the avocados is used for consumption. However, people don't realise very often that the outer shell of avocados might have bacteria and germs. Touching these avocados with fingers or even with a slicer can transfer the same germs into the inner part of the avocado. So to stay safe, a person should always wash the avocados properly before eating them.