Hey, Avocado Lovers! Here’s How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck
The news of the avocado shortage, which has led to sky-rocketing avocado prices, got us thinking: How can we maintain our avocado-loving habits without totally blowing our budget? Because let’s be honest: At this point, it’s not like giving up the beloved green fruit altogether is really an option.
We figure it comes down to making sure we’re getting the most out of every single avocado — stretching an avocado, if you will. If you too are wondering how to best maintain your avocado addiction, refer to the list below, where we’ve collected recipes, tips and tricks for getting the most of each and every avocado, from minimizing the amount of avocados you need for guacamole to salvaging an overripe avocado. Read on for your guide to surviving this avocado crisis.
Avocado Recipes
Green Pea Guacamole
Guacamole purists, I need you to keep an open mind. This avocado-conserving recipe sneaks in some green peas, intensifying the beautiful green hue of guacamole and cutting down on your avocado usage (this recipe only requires one avocado!), and adds a little protein to boot.
Chickpea and Avocado Spread
Instead of using a half (or even a whole) avocado on your lunchtime avocado toast — or as your sandwich spread — mash a little bit of avocado with some chickpeas to get the same desired creaminess while using less avocado and adding a protein punch.
Dairy-Free Avocado Crema
Instead of whipping up a big ol’ batch of guacamole for taco night, try this vegan avocado crema on for size. It will give you that same avocado-y creaminess while using only one avocado, versus guac which will run you three to four.
Avocado Pickles
If you were overzealous at the market, buying a bunch of avocados only to realize you don’t know how you’ll eat them all once they ripen, pickle a few of the underripe ones to elongate their shelf life.
Avocado Hacks
Store it properly
Confession: Sometimes I eat the whole avocado, just so I don’t waste the other half. But if you’re slightly less committed, when you’re using just half of an avocado, keeping the unused half fresh is crucial. And let me tell you: Your squirt-of-lemon efforts aren’t gonna cut it. Apparently, the key is to rub the flesh of your unused half with a light layer of olive oil which creates a barrier from air (oxidation is what makes avocados get all brown and weird). Throw your rubbed-down half in a plastic bag in the fridge and you’ll have a happy avocado half fresh for the using the next day.
Use overripe avocados
Eating an avocado when it’s browned or stringy, or both, takes away from the pleasurable avocado experience that we all know and love. Try these eight ways to use an overripe avocado — like in hair and skin masks, in brownies or in sauces and dressings —without having to subject yourself to straight mush in order to avoid being wasteful.
Turn the pit into a tree
When times are tough, you make use of every part of the avocado, including the pit, which can be propagated and turned into an avocado tree of your very own. Hey, dream big, right?
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