Avocados are probably one of the trendiest foods around right now. They're versatile, and great for you, which I'm sure you've heard by now but do you know how to pick them out, and how to store them?

I've often made the mistake of sharing a recipe with a friend, assuming they know how to "do" avocados, only to get a text mid-attempt that says "Are they supposed to be super hard?" Then I feel bad because they bought, cut open, and then had to waste an avocado because I didn't give them a heads up about how to pick them out. So here it is: my tips on picking, storing, and using avocados.

Pick 'em!

If I’m being honest, it will take some experience before you’ve perfected your avocado choosing skills, but I’m going to do my best to get you fully prepared. Everything you need to know about an avocado can be evaluated by pressing you thumb against the skin to see how much resistance there is to the pressure.

Avocado Hacks:

If your avocado is ripening faster than you’re prepared to use it put it in the fridge to slow the process. I’ll usually put mine in the fridge as soon as it’s reached a use-able softness, that can get me 2-3 extra days before the point-of-no-return.

If you’re only going to use half of the avocado, use the half without the seed. Place the seeded-half in a Ziploc bag, and suck the air out of it before zipping it closed, and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Using lime or lemon in any avocado situation will slow the process of oxidizing and prevent it from turning brown.

If you make guacamole ahead of time put the seed in it, and squeeze a layer of lime juice over the top to create a protective layer and keep your guac- looking green for the party. When you’re ready to serve remove the seed, and mix the lime juice in.

If your avocado is ripening slower than you hoped, try keeping it in a paper bag alongside an unpeeled banana.

The Lazy Guacamole Recipe

My boyfriend and I love guacamole, and make it often. One day it occurred to me that the ingredients found in most fresh chunky (pico de gallo-type) salsas have almost all the ingredients that we add to avocado to make guac, and so this recipe was born.

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados

3-5 forkfuls salsa

Juice of 1/2 - 1 Lime

Salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder - to taste

Steps

1. Choose the right salsa: the right type is typically found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, it might be called pico de gallo or just salsa. Look at the ingredients, you want to see: tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, and a hot pepper of some sort, some may also have vinegar which still works. We've successfully used Cedar's, Jack's Special, Mitchell's Fresh, Shaws store-prepared, and a few more.

2. Peel and mash up avocados with a fork.

3. Use a fork to add a few scoops of salsa to the mashed avocado, mix it up and give it a taste, add more salsa if it still just tastes like mashed avocado.

4. Squeeze in some lime juice, and stir.

5. Taste it, and season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper to suit your preferences. Don't go too heavy-handed, remember you can always add more but you can't take it out once it's in.

6. Enjoy with tortilla chips, fresh vegetables, on a salad, on tacos, etc.

Thanks for reading everyone! Hope this helps, let me know if you try the recipe!