Some Useful Hints For Avocado Lovers

Here are some tips on choosing and using avocados:

Buy them ripe for immediate use or unripe for future use. A ripe avocado gives slightly when pressed. Mushy fruit is overripe.

Unripe fruit takes three to six days to soften. To quicken the process, place the fruit in a loosely closed brown paper bag with a banana peel, apple or tomato.

To halve, use a knife to cut the fruit lengthwise, running the knife around the large pit. Twist the halves. Strike the pit with a knife blade and twist to lift out.

Avocados are good sources of fiber, vitamins and potassium, and they’re low in sodium. One-half cup has about 18 grams of fat, but most of it is the monounsaturated variety.