Avacados

Via: http://www.cbc.ca/stevenandchris/2011/04/kitchen-quick-tips-avocados.html

Something we might not know about avocados is that they are in fact a fruit, not a vegetable. They are also full of vitamin K, vitamin C, folate and fibre. Avocados are a good source of the "healthy fat" we need in our diet, and they taste delicious in a variety of different recipes. They are great in salads, sandwiches and of course the much-loved guacamole!

Shopping for Avocados
If you want to make something with avocados but all of the avocados in the grocery store are either too ripe, or completely unripe, don't worry about changing your menu. Steven is here with some great tips on how to save your dinner party AND your rock-hard avocados! When you get home from the store just take your unripe avocados and place them in a paper bag with a couple of bananas. Bananas produce a type of gas called ethylene, which actually helps to speed up the ripening process. You might notice that bananas and avocados are often stored together in the produce area of the grocery store, which is a simple and effective solution you can use at home! Just leave your avocados in the paper bag with the bananas until they're ready to eat!!!

Slicing Avocados:
We all have a great trip for cutting and slicing an avocado, but what you might not know is how to slice one without smashing or smushing any of the fruit. Halve your avocado lengthwise, and place the half on a cutting board with the cut side facing up. Then, using a sharp knife, slice the avocado into slices width-wise. You can then peel the skin off of each slice, and your avocado will remain completely intact. You can slice them into chunks and pop them on your salads, or for use as a garnish.

How to Keep Avocados from Going Brown:
Lemon and lime juice are the tried and true tools for keeping your avocados from going brown, however, even citrus begins to lose its effectiveness eventually. A great new trick for keeping your avocados fresh and green-looking for longer is to store them in water. Place the unused half of your avocado, preferably the piece with the pit still in it, into a bowl or container of water. Adding a little bit of lemon or lime juice to the water extends the life of your avocado even more, but it is not required for this to work. Just make sure that your avocado is completely submerged. The water will prevent air from hitting the flesh and turning it brown.

Vileda Viewer's Kitchen Tip # 3
When I make egg salad sandwiches, I like to use my pastry blender to cut my eggs. It finely chops the eggs and it's quicker and easier than using a fork!"
This is also a great way to get your kids to help in the kitchen!

Scoring the Avacado