Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way to
soften them up ??
Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
Jerry

http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/THENORTHCOASTPT

Jerry - OHIO wrote:
> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way to
> soften them up ??
> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
> Jerry
>
> http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/THENORTHCOASTPT
>

Paper bag on the counter?

--
"I'm thinking that if this dilemma grows any more horns, I'm going to
shoot it and put it up on the wall."

- Harry Dresden

Jerry - OHIO wrote:
> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way to
> soften them up ??
> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
> Jerry

Time. It is nice when I can find perfectly ripe ones at the store and
use them immediately. I have enjoyed the most amazing avocados this
year, at no more than $1 each (sometimes less) and have been on a
guacamole frenzy. It seems to be a great year for the crop.

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
> (Jerry - OHIO) news:17195-461DDCD7-24@storefull-
> 3136.bay.webtv.net:
>
>> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way to
>> soften them up ??
>> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
>> Jerry
>>
>> http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/THENORTHCOASTPT
>
> Excerpt from the California Avocado Commission:
>
> http://www.avocado.org/about/fruit_selection.php
>
> Ripening a California Avocado
>
> To ripen a California avocado, place the fruit in a plain brown paper bag
> and store at room temperature 65-75% until ready to eat (usually two to
> five days).
>
> Including an apple or banana in the bag accelerates the process because
> these fruits give off ethylene gas, a ripening reagent.
> Soft ripe fruit can be refrigerated until it is eaten, but not for more
> than two or three days.
>
> The California Avocado Commission does not recommend using a microwave to
> accelerate the ripening process.
>
>
> Michael

Hey I was right!

--
"I'm thinking that if this dilemma grows any more horns, I'm going to
shoot it and put it up on the wall."

- Harry Dresden

Jerry - OHIO wrote:
> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way
> to soften them up ??
> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
> Jerry
>

What kind are they and where are they from? That might help us answer your
ripeness question. Some avocados are hard and dark green and that's just
the way they are, even ripe. If the color of the avocado skin is black-ish,
they're most likely Haas from California or Mexico. One way to help ripen
up an avocado, though, would be to put it in a paper bag and store it in a
pantry or similar cabinet. If after a couple of days it still doesn't feel
soft, then it could be already ripe.

Hawaii and Florida avocados tend to have a thicker skin that doesn't turn
darkish in color or doesn't dent when pressed upon. It's very difficult to
test for ripeness on those, which is why I don't buy them. I only buy Haas.
Good luck.

kili

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:25:18 -0500, "kilikini"
> wrote:

>Jerry - OHIO wrote:
>> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way
>> to soften them up ??
>> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
>> Jerry
>>
>
>What kind are they and where are they from? That might help us answer your
>ripeness question. Some avocados are hard and dark green and that's just
>the way they are, even ripe. If the color of the avocado skin is black-ish,
>they're most likely Haas from California or Mexico. One way to help ripen
>up an avocado, though, would be to put it in a paper bag and store it in a
>pantry or similar cabinet. If after a couple of days it still doesn't feel
>soft, then it could be already ripe.
>
>Hawaii and Florida avocados tend to have a thicker skin that doesn't turn
>darkish in color or doesn't dent when pressed upon. It's very difficult to
>test for ripeness on those, which is why I don't buy them. I only buy Haas.
>Good luck.
>
>kili
>

Kili, the way we test our (fairly wild & yummy) avocados is to wait
until the "belly button"- (where the stem joins the avocado) falls
out. And you can then press on that little bit of flesh and see how
ripe it is. Also an all over soft squeeze will let you know how ripe
the fruit it.

I couldn't figure it out for many years and let my Dad choose, but my
husband, the hunter & gatherer, finally taught me how using the above
method. BTW we have the most awesome, huge, creamy and wonderful
Sharwil avocados going off now. The wild pigs forage nightly below
the tree.

We have so many to give away. It is an absolute shame that we can not
send them out of Hawaii because of the huge Haas PAC in California -
Calvado (?). They protect their petite Haas/golden eggs .

aloha,
beans

wrote:
> On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:25:18 -0500, "kilikini"
> > wrote:
>
>> Jerry - OHIO wrote:
>>> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way
>>> to soften them up ??
>>> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
>>> Jerry
>>>
>> What kind are they and where are they from? That might help us answer your
>> ripeness question. Some avocados are hard and dark green and that's just
>> the way they are, even ripe. If the color of the avocado skin is black-ish,
>> they're most likely Haas from California or Mexico. One way to help ripen
>> up an avocado, though, would be to put it in a paper bag and store it in a
>> pantry or similar cabinet. If after a couple of days it still doesn't feel
>> soft, then it could be already ripe.
>>
>> Hawaii and Florida avocados tend to have a thicker skin that doesn't turn
>> darkish in color or doesn't dent when pressed upon. It's very difficult to
>> test for ripeness on those, which is why I don't buy them. I only buy Haas.
>> Good luck.
>>
>> kili
>>
>
> Kili, the way we test our (fairly wild & yummy) avocados is to wait
> until the "belly button"- (where the stem joins the avocado) falls
> out. And you can then press on that little bit of flesh and see how
> ripe it is. Also an all over soft squeeze will let you know how ripe
> the fruit it.
>
> I couldn't figure it out for many years and let my Dad choose, but my
> husband, the hunter & gatherer, finally taught me how using the above
> method. BTW we have the most awesome, huge, creamy and wonderful
> Sharwil avocados going off now. The wild pigs forage nightly below
> the tree.
>
> We have so many to give away. It is an absolute shame that we can not
> send them out of Hawaii because of the huge Haas PAC in California -
> Calvado (?). They protect their petite Haas/golden eggs .
>
> aloha,
> beans


I learned that if you flicked out the stem remnant and check what
color, you can find the 'going bad or rotten' avocadoes. If the end
under the stem is bright green, then it's still pretty good and no brown
rotten spots inside. If the stem end is all brown or dried up looking,
you can expect those nasty brown bad areas. Since I've learned to do
this, I haven't gotten any bad ones. I still have to give them a little
full squeeze to tell if they are getting ripe but that's okay, at least
I know they aren't bad when I buy them.

Melondy

There from Mexico ,small sized .
I'll put in bag.
Thanks for the info.

Jerry

http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/THENORTHCOASTPT

In article >, goomba38
@comcast.net says...
> Time. It is nice when I can find perfectly ripe ones at the store and
> use them immediately. I have enjoyed the most amazing avocados this
> year, at no more than $1 each (sometimes less) and have been on a
> guacamole frenzy. It seems to be a great year for the crop.
>

I find that if they are perfectly ripe at the store, they have been
bruised. Fortunately they ripen well sitting in the fruit bowl.

Any hints on telling good avocados from bad? I have had delicious
avocados and then, a few days later, buy other avocados that look and
feel the same (at least to me) that are tasteless and pasty.


--
Peter Aitken

Peter A wrote:

>
> I find that if they are perfectly ripe at the store, they have been
> bruised. Fortunately they ripen well sitting in the fruit bowl.

I would have thunk it too, but it has certainly not been the case at all
this year. Kroger even had a whole display of ready to eat avocados a
while back. It was what got me started on my guacamole kick this year.

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:55:21 GMT, "Michael \"Dog3\" Lonergan"
> wrote:

(Jerry - OHIO) news:17195-461DDCD7-24@storefull-
>3136.bay.webtv.net:
>
>> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way to
>> soften them up ??
>> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
>> Jerry
>>
>> http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/THENORTHCOASTPT
>
>Excerpt from the California Avocado Commission:
>
>http://www.avocado.org/about/fruit_selection.php
>
>Ripening a California Avocado
>
>To ripen a California avocado, place the fruit in a plain brown paper bag
>and store at room temperature 65-75% until ready to eat (usually two to
>five days).
>
If you skip the paper bag, exactly the same thing happens.

On Apr 12, 12:50 pm, Melondy > wrote:
> wrote:
> > On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:25:18 -0500, "kilikini"
> > > wrote:
>
> >> Jerry - OHIO wrote:
> >>> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way
> >>> to soften them up ??
> >>> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
> >>> Jerry
>
> >> What kind are they and where are they from? That might help us answer your
> >> ripeness question. Some avocados are hard and dark green and that's just
> >> the way they are, even ripe. If the color of the avocado skin is black-ish,
> >> they're most likely Haas from California or Mexico. One way to help ripen
> >> up an avocado, though, would be to put it in a paper bag and store it in a
> >> pantry or similar cabinet. If after a couple of days it still doesn't feel
> >> soft, then it could be already ripe.
>
> >> Hawaii and Florida avocados tend to have a thicker skin that doesn't turn
> >> darkish in color or doesn't dent when pressed upon. It's very difficult to
> >> test for ripeness on those, which is why I don't buy them. I only buy Haas.
> >> Good luck.
>
> >> kili
>
> > Kili, the way we test our (fairly wild & yummy) avocados is to wait
> > until the "belly button"- (where the stem joins the avocado) falls
> > out. And you can then press on that little bit of flesh and see how
> > ripe it is. Also an all over soft squeeze will let you know how ripe
> > the fruit it.
>
> > I couldn't figure it out for many years and let my Dad choose, but my
> > husband, the hunter & gatherer, finally taught me how using the above
> > method. BTW we have the most awesome, huge, creamy and wonderful
> > Sharwil avocados going off now. The wild pigs forage nightly below
> > the tree.
>
> > We have so many to give away. It is an absolute shame that we can not
> > send them out of Hawaii because of the huge Haas PAC in California -
> > Calvado (?). They protect their petite Haas/golden eggs .
>
> > aloha,
> > beans
>
> I learned that if you flicked out the stem remnant and check what
> color, you can find the 'going bad or rotten' avocadoes. If the end
> under the stem is bright green, then it's still pretty good and no brown
> rotten spots inside. If the stem end is all brown or dried up looking,
> you can expect those nasty brown bad areas. Since I've learned to do
> this, I haven't gotten any bad ones. I still have to give them a little
> full squeeze to tell if they are getting ripe but that's okay, at least
> I know they aren't bad when I buy them.
>
> Melondy- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks for the tip- I have been fooled more than once!

Jerry - OHIO wrote:
> There from Mexico ,small sized .
> I'll put in bag.
> Thanks for the info.
>
> Jerry
>
> http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/THENORTHCOASTPT

You're welcome!

kili

wrote:
> On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:25:18 -0500, "kilikini"
> > wrote:
>
>> Jerry - OHIO wrote:
>>> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best
>>> way to soften them up ??
>>> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
>>> Jerry
>>>
>>
>> What kind are they and where are they from? That might help us
>> answer your ripeness question. Some avocados are hard and dark
>> green and that's just the way they are, even ripe. If the color of
>> the avocado skin is black-ish, they're most likely Haas from
>> California or Mexico. One way to help ripen up an avocado, though,
>> would be to put it in a paper bag and store it in a pantry or
>> similar cabinet. If after a couple of days it still doesn't feel
>> soft, then it could be already ripe.
>>
>> Hawaii and Florida avocados tend to have a thicker skin that doesn't
>> turn darkish in color or doesn't dent when pressed upon. It's very
>> difficult to test for ripeness on those, which is why I don't buy
>> them. I only buy Haas. Good luck.
>>
>> kili
>>
>
> Kili, the way we test our (fairly wild & yummy) avocados is to wait
> until the "belly button"- (where the stem joins the avocado) falls
> out. And you can then press on that little bit of flesh and see how
> ripe it is. Also an all over soft squeeze will let you know how ripe
> the fruit it.
>
> I couldn't figure it out for many years and let my Dad choose, but my
> husband, the hunter & gatherer, finally taught me how using the above
> method. BTW we have the most awesome, huge, creamy and wonderful
> Sharwil avocados going off now. The wild pigs forage nightly below
> the tree.
>
> We have so many to give away. It is an absolute shame that we can not
> send them out of Hawaii because of the huge Haas PAC in California -
> Calvado (?). They protect their petite Haas/golden eggs .
>
> aloha,
> beans

I never knew this! If it works the same way for Florida ones, I'll be able
to purchase them. I usually just shy away. Thanks!

kili

In article >,
"kilikini" > wrote:

> I never knew this! If it works the same way for Florida ones, I'll be able
> to purchase them. I usually just shy away. Thanks!
>
> kili

Kili,

Thanks for the private e-mail. :-)

It worked out all ok, so far...

Won't know until the films get read.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> "kilikini" > wrote:
>
>> I never knew this! If it works the same way for Florida ones, I'll be able
>> to purchase them. I usually just shy away. Thanks!
>>
>> kili
>
> Kili,
>
> Thanks for the private e-mail. :-)
>
> It worked out all ok, so far...
>
> Won't know until the films get read.

Perhaps responding directly *to* that "private e-mail" rather than glom
onto some message here would be a better idea?
I mean.. unless you wanted everyone to know...?

On Apr 12, 2:16 am, (Jerry - OHIO) wrote:
> Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way to
> soften them up ??
> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
> Jerry
>
> http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/THENORTHCOASTPT


Brown paper bag, closed. OR, put them out on counter next to some
onions. That might do it. I think there's something about onions
that hurries the ripening. I could be wrong, though. ;-)

N.

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 03:16:39 -0400, (Jerry -
OHIO) magnanimously proffered:

>Wife picked up codoes that are on the hard side ,what is the best way to
>soften them up ??
> Waiting with spoon & salt shaker!!!
>Jerry
>
>http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/THENORTHCOASTPT

This is something I know a little about because, in a former
incarnation, I bought and graded wholesale avocados.

It depends entirely on what variety of avocados you're trying to ripen
and the temperature of kitchen.

My recommendation is, if you have some time, buy your avos unripe and
ripen them yourself. It usually takes me three to four days max in a
fruit bowl with apples - sometimes less. It's also good to know that
the longer the stem is, the longer it takes for the avocado to ripen.
Most commercial varieties come with short (a quarter to a half an
inch) stem. If you're picking your own avos, cut stems a varying
lengths if you don't want all your avos to ripen at the same time.

Three common varieties:

1. Haas (sometimes referred to as Californian, also from Israel) - buy
green and hard. If you want them to ripen more quickly, put in a brown
paper bag with an apple or a banana and put in a cool, dry place.
Check daily, morning and evening.

If your kitchen is warmish, putting them in a fruit bowl takes longer,
but makes it easer to monitor. If you wait until the skin turns black
then you risk the avo having rotten spots inside. If in doubt, wiggle
the stem. If the stem comes out easily then the avo is probably ripe.
If in doubt, stick in a cocktail stick or toothpick to test.

Hint. Most supermarket avos are picked early before the oil content
has a chance to develop so you cab enjoy its maximum richness and
flavour. If possible, buy your avos from a grower you can ask about
when the avos were picked.

Another hint: A Haas with a long, pointed shape will normally have a
small seed, while a short, fat, round Haas will have a big seed. I
used to grade avocados for buyers such as restaurants that wanted the
round, fat ones to cut in half and stuff with shrimps or prawns, etc.

2. Fuerte (often from Florida, also Mexico, Central America and
California) - a more watery, less oily and rich avocado that is grown
off-season to the Haas.

These avos ripen VERY quickly once they're picked and bruise very
easily. Which is why you don't find them in supermarkets very often.

Ripen the same way as the Haas. But the skin doesn't change colour
when it ripens. So you've got to keep testing them.

Hint: if you want to use an unripe or partially unripe Fuerte to make
guacamole, you can role the fruit hard down onto a counter top, etc to
soften it. I've done this a number of times when unexpected guests
have turned up expecting my guacamole.

Another hint: if you're making your guacamole ahead of time or want to
store it in the fridge and don't want it to oxidise and turn brown on
top, put a seed or two into the guacamole before you cover the bowl
with plastic wrap. This works with all three varieties.

3. Reed (or Butter Ball because they're so rich and buttery) - These
are an avocado lover's delight. They're usually bigger than a Haas or
Fuerte and most of them will have a big seed. I've never seen them in
a supermarket, but fruit & vegetable shops sometimes have them and I
look for those that do.

This is another avo that doesn't change colour when it ripens. In
fact, if the skin turns dark you've lost what's inside. These usually
come with very short stems and ripen very quickly. They also have
thick skins. So trying to feel if they're ripe doesn't work.

The only thing that does work is putting them in a fruit bowl and
checking on them at least three times a day. Again, if the stem can be
removed easily, then the avo is probably ripe. Use a toothpick, etc to
check.

Hint: They are much better when the flesh firm and can be used for
guacamole the moment they're ripe.

Another hint: Unripe avos store well in the fridge. If you want to
take advantage of a sale or good price, buy a whole load of unripe
avos, put them in the fridge and take a few of them out a couple of
days before you want to use them. Remember: Fuerte and Reed ripen very
quickly once they're back at room temperature.

IMPORTANT: Never, ever put avos in the sun to ripen. In their natural
environment the tree sheds leaves like crazy and an avocado that falls
off the tree if cushioned by the leaves and then covered by them.
They're deigned to ripen in the dark. Putting avos in the sun will
ruin them.

Never ever store avos in plastic bags. This will cause the avos to
sweat and develop a fungus between the skin and the flesh. Yuck.

I hope this has been helpful.

bob wrote:

> My recommendation is, if you have some time, buy your avos unripe and
> ripen them yourself. It usually takes me three to four days max in a
> fruit bowl with apples - sometimes less. It's also good to know that
> the longer the stem is, the longer it takes for the avocado to ripen.
> Most commercial varieties come with short (a quarter to a half an
> inch) stem. If you're picking your own avos, cut stems a varying
> lengths if you don't want all your avos to ripen at the same time.
<clipped>
> I hope this has been helpful.

Very! Thanks very much.
How do restaurants manage to ripen so many at the right time? Do you
have a particularly favorite recipe for your guac?

bob wrote:
> On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 03:16:39 -0400, (Jerry -
> OHIO) magnanimously proffered:
>
> This is something I know a little about because, in a former
> incarnation, I bought and graded wholesale avocados.
>
> It depends entirely on what variety of avocados you're trying to ripen
> and the temperature of kitchen.
>
> My recommendation is, if you have some time, buy your avos unripe and
> ripen them yourself. It usually takes me three to four days max in a
> fruit bowl with apples - sometimes less. It's also good to know that
> the longer the stem is, the longer it takes for the avocado to ripen.
> Most commercial varieties come with short (a quarter to a half an
> inch) stem. If you're picking your own avos, cut stems a varying
> lengths if you don't want all your avos to ripen at the same time.
>
> Three common varieties:
>
> 1. Haas (sometimes referred to as Californian, also from Israel) - buy
> green and hard. If you want them to ripen more quickly, put in a brown
> paper bag with an apple or a banana and put in a cool, dry place.
> Check daily, morning and evening.
>
> If your kitchen is warmish, putting them in a fruit bowl takes longer,
> but makes it easer to monitor. If you wait until the skin turns black
> then you risk the avo having rotten spots inside. If in doubt, wiggle
> the stem. If the stem comes out easily then the avo is probably ripe.
> If in doubt, stick in a cocktail stick or toothpick to test.
>
> Hint. Most supermarket avos are picked early before the oil content
> has a chance to develop so you cab enjoy its maximum richness and
> flavour. If possible, buy your avos from a grower you can ask about
> when the avos were picked.
>
> Another hint: A Haas with a long, pointed shape will normally have a
> small seed, while a short, fat, round Haas will have a big seed. I
> used to grade avocados for buyers such as restaurants that wanted the
> round, fat ones to cut in half and stuff with shrimps or prawns, etc.
>
> 2. Fuerte (often from Florida, also Mexico, Central America and
> California) - a more watery, less oily and rich avocado that is grown
> off-season to the Haas.
>
> These avos ripen VERY quickly once they're picked and bruise very
> easily. Which is why you don't find them in supermarkets very often.
>
> Ripen the same way as the Haas. But the skin doesn't change colour
> when it ripens. So you've got to keep testing them.
>
> Hint: if you want to use an unripe or partially unripe Fuerte to make
> guacamole, you can role the fruit hard down onto a counter top, etc to
> soften it. I've done this a number of times when unexpected guests
> have turned up expecting my guacamole.
>
> Another hint: if you're making your guacamole ahead of time or want to
> store it in the fridge and don't want it to oxidise and turn brown on
> top, put a seed or two into the guacamole before you cover the bowl
> with plastic wrap. This works with all three varieties.
>
> 3. Reed (or Butter Ball because they're so rich and buttery) - These
> are an avocado lover's delight. They're usually bigger than a Haas or
> Fuerte and most of them will have a big seed. I've never seen them in
> a supermarket, but fruit & vegetable shops sometimes have them and I
> look for those that do.
>
> This is another avo that doesn't change colour when it ripens. In
> fact, if the skin turns dark you've lost what's inside. These usually
> come with very short stems and ripen very quickly. They also have
> thick skins. So trying to feel if they're ripe doesn't work.
>
> The only thing that does work is putting them in a fruit bowl and
> checking on them at least three times a day. Again, if the stem can be
> removed easily, then the avo is probably ripe. Use a toothpick, etc to
> check.
>
> Hint: They are much better when the flesh firm and can be used for
> guacamole the moment they're ripe.
>
> Another hint: Unripe avos store well in the fridge. If you want to
> take advantage of a sale or good price, buy a whole load of unripe
> avos, put them in the fridge and take a few of them out a couple of
> days before you want to use them. Remember: Fuerte and Reed ripen very
> quickly once they're back at room temperature.
>
> IMPORTANT: Never, ever put avos in the sun to ripen. In their natural
> environment the tree sheds leaves like crazy and an avocado that falls
> off the tree if cushioned by the leaves and then covered by them.
> They're deigned to ripen in the dark. Putting avos in the sun will
> ruin them.
>
> Never ever store avos in plastic bags. This will cause the avos to
> sweat and develop a fungus between the skin and the flesh. Yuck.
>
> I hope this has been helpful.

(purposely NOT snipped because this is an excellent post)

You have answered almost every question I have ever had regarding avocados.
Thank you so very much!

kili

> This is something I know a little about because, in a former
> incarnation, I bought and graded wholesale avocados.

Nice article, Bob. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

Kit

--

On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 06:47:00 -0400, Goomba38 >
magnanimously proffered:

>bob wrote:
>
>> My recommendation is, if you have some time, buy your avos unripe and
>> ripen them yourself. It usually takes me three to four days max in a
>> fruit bowl with apples - sometimes less. It's also good to know that
>> the longer the stem is, the longer it takes for the avocado to ripen.
>> Most commercial varieties come with short (a quarter to a half an
>> inch) stem. If you're picking your own avos, cut stems a varying
>> lengths if you don't want all your avos to ripen at the same time.
><clipped>
>> I hope this has been helpful.
>
>Very! Thanks very much.
>How do restaurants manage to ripen so many at the right time? Do you
>have a particularly favorite recipe for your guac?

Thanks to you, kilikini and kitaman for making me feel welcome.

To answer your question, the restaurants and caterers who were our
wholesale customers left it up to us to do that. Part of my job was to
grade avocados for quality, size, shape and when they'd be ripe. I
also had to make sure that there was a constant supply in regular
rotation. We're talking about more than a hundred trays of the little
gems - both inside and outside the walk-in chiller (where I could
retard ripening). So when a restaurant called in their order or sent
someone to choose bits & pieces for that day's offerings, I or one of
my assistants could fill the avo part of the order by going to the
appropriate tray.

What I personally looked forward to was when one of the Ripe Today
trays had a few left avos over at the end of the day and they just had
to be eaten or thrown away. (BTW - we rarely threw anything away that
wasn't rotten and either passed it on to various charities, but also
some regulars who "shopped" after hours at the back door. Today they'd
be called street people.)

How did I know how long it would take the avocados to ripen? I wish I
could tell you. All I can say is that I grew up with the things, long
before they became popular. My step-dad's father had worked with
horticulturist, Luther Burbank, and passed on his love of horticulture
to my step-dad. We grew up surrounded by with things like avocados,
oranges, lemons, limes, loquats, even bananas ... and we always had
fresh salads and fruit, like avocados, to eat in season. I also worked
in the produce department of a local supermarket when I was in college
and picked up a lot of useful knowledge from the manager who trained
me.

Basically, there are several pointers I look for: the variety, the
skin colour and texture, the length of the stem, the size and shape,
and - to determine the size of the seed - how it rolls in the hand
(because the seed is the heaviest, most dense part of the avo). All
those things combine to give me an answer, but it takes a bit of
experience. Fortunately, I love eating avocados and usually mange to
eat at least one half and avo a day ... and where I live has at least
one variety (Haas, Fuerte or Reed) available throughout the year.

My favourite guacamole recipe:

I've made guacamole many different ways using lots of recipes borrowed
from friends and family. This is my favourite and the one I get the
requests for. But be warned, this is for garlic lovers who don't have
meetings the next day or have access to fresh parsley to eat as an
antidote to garlic "aroma" ... it works well.

GUACAMOLE:

Serves 6 to 8 (with some left over to use as a topping for the
burritos)

* 4-5x ripe medium-to-large Haas or Fuerte (or 3-4 medium-to -large
Reed) avocados

* 1-2x large lemons (use to make texture creamy, but try a half a
lemon at a time)

* 4 - 6 x spring onions, or;

* 1x medium or ½x large red onion (or Maui onions if you can get
them).

* 2-3 cloves of garlic (if starting to sprout remove centre bit - it's
bitter and will ruin the taste) Please note: use less garlic if you're
concerned or serve with fresh parsley - chewing parsley will help take
away the garlic smell from breath and skin.

* Pinch of sugar & salt to boost taste (test taste before adding).

* 1-2x boxes or bags of natural tortilla chips - or you can make your
own from leftover tortillas cut in wedges and fried (time consuming).

***

Finely chop or crush garlic, finely slice spring onions or finely dice
red onion;

Scoop avocado into bowl and munge with big fork, then add the juice
from half a lemon (including everything but the seeds) and continue
munging (don't munge too finely or it will be like a sauce or dressing
- leave some texture and small lumps);

Add the garlic & onion and mix in well ... if needed, keep adding
little squeezes of lemon juice to achieve desired consistency (so that
it can be used as a dip and as a topping - not runny!);

Once it's made, do a taste check and if you think it needs lifting,
add small pinches of sugar and salt to taste;

Place in storage bowl that fits the contents (not too much air space),
cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (note: guacamole is best made
two or three hours or more before serving to allow the tastes to meld
- to keep the surface of the guacamole from turning brown, add one or
two of the avocado seeds to the guacamole);

Take out from fridge a half an hour before serving, remove the seeds
and taste one more time before adding any more lemon, sugar or salt,
then, just before serving, transfer to a serving bowl or bowls for
serious munching.

(Note: if I'm serving burritos or other Mexican-type food, I put
enough guacamole aside to use as a topping along with homemade salsa.
Don't forget to store with an avocado seed)

This is the recipe I've given to friends and family when they ask, but
I must admit that I make it a little differently depending on the
firmness and quality of the avos and other ingredients. For example,
Fuertes often don't have a lot of taste, so I usually add more sugar
and salt to lift it. On other occasions when I'm using quite firm Haas
avos, I have to add more lemon, but no sugar or salt. Depends.

Cheers, bob