If pressed, I could tell you how to make good guacamole in one sentence. It goes something like this. Mash ripe avocados with finely chopped white onions, a minced garlic clove, a squeeze of lime juice, then salt to taste. But to make great guacamole, it’s the little decisions going between those commas that make all the difference. If you were standing next to me throughout the process, you’d pick up on the dozens of choices and considerations that actually matter. So, I thought I might try to go longer-form with you on this one – walk you through my thought process, step-by-step here, related to one of my favorite things to eat.

Good Shopping is Key

Like most things that end up on the table, your success or failure depends on how you do at the market. The most important step in this entire process is procuring the perfect avocados. Ripe. But not too ripe. Beautiful, buttery, green-fleshed decadence – that’s what you’re after. Sometimes easier said than done.

Choosing the Right Avocados

I spend more time choosing the avocados for guacamole than actually preparing it. You want avocados that are ripe and the only way to figure out whether they’re at their peak is to evaluate them one at a time. To decipher whether or not an avocado is ripe enough, hold it in your palm, and give it a gentle squeeze with the pads of your fingers. There should be some give, like butter that has been out of the refrigerator for an hour in an average-temp kitchen. The give should be uniform across the surface of the fruit. Try to imagine whether that amount of give would translate to good mash-ability. Avocados tend to be more ripe toward the surface, less ripe toward the seed. Keep that in mind as you’re evaluating them.

Look at the color as well. Over-ripe avocados (depending on the varietal) tend to be black with pockets of unstructured softness. I don’t typically use the trick where you wiggle the stem button – if it’s loose, the avocado is ripe (but possible too ripe!), but that is another tactic to decipher whether an avocado is in the zone.

If you buy under-ripe avocados and have a few days before using them they’ll continue to ripen over time. If you’re in a rush – avocados ripen more quickly sealed in a paper bag. To slow down the ripening process, place them in the refrigerator (but bring back to room-temperature before using).

The Right Temperature is Key

Temperature matters here, and you’re going to want to use room-temperature avocados. Because avocados have such a high percentage of fat, imagine trying to mash cold butter versus room temperature. Once is going to be much creamier than the other. So, don’t try to make guacamole with cold avocados. Also, serve at room temperature, not chilled.

The Concept of Guacamole “Stretching”

Avocados can be pricey, so a lot of restaurants will “stretch” or bulk out their guacamole with things like chopped tomatoes. I’m not a fan of this. The tomato addition in particular. I don’t love the way watery tomatoes bump up against fatty avocado – it’s literally oil and water. I like guacamole to be about the avocado, and unless I’m throwing some wildcards in the mix (like the one in my last book), I typically keep it as clean and simple as possible.

Variations

Beyond this – trust your taste buds to balance things out. If you like a bit of spicy kick, add some minced serrano pepper. Use salt and lime juice, adjusting little by little, until things taste just right.

If you want to take your guacamole up another notch, try this favorite Indian-spiced guacamole, and inspired by a Julie Sahni recipe. I also love to use this guacamole on these Vegan Nachos – so good!

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