The science behind the best guacamole ever

Why is guacamole the best thing ever? Seriously, smother that stuff on anything and I would eat it.

Heck, I would even use guacamole as a face mask – annnnnd then eat chips off my face.

I think a big part of what makes guacamole so delicious is all the fresh ingredients that go into it. There’s nothing processed about it – just straight from the good earth ingredients.

Guacamole is really easy to make. But I do have a few tips for taking it from “delicious” to “holy cow I can’t imagine life without this.”

• First of all, it is important to know that all avocados are NOT created equal. When making guacamole, you must use HAAS avocados. Haas avocados are small avocados with dark, pebbly skins. You may also see another variety of avocados at the grocery store called Florida avocados. Florida avocados are much larger than the haas variety, But DO NOT buy them. Florida avocados are very watery and bland, and they do not make for good guacamole.

• Secondly, it’s important to use ripe avocados. The avocado should “give” a little when you press it in your hand, and when you peel back the small stem cap at the top the rind underneath should be green. If it’s brown, it’s too ripe. If it doesn’t pull away easily, it’s not ripe enough.

• Also, you need an acid in your guacamole like lemon juice or lime juice. The acid helps cut through the fattiness of the fruit and makes it creamier.

• Adding a little bit of spice (courtesy of a fresh jalapeño pepper) really gives your guacamole a flavor boost. Even if you don’t like spicy foods, it’s necessary to at least add 1/4 of a pepper – seeds and all.

• Cilantro haters, this guacamole isn’t for you. Fresh herbs are 100% necessary for making superior guacamole. You just need a little bit!

• Don’t over mix your guacamole. Just mix it enough so everything has been combined. One of the best parts of guacamole is all the different textures, and if you over mix it you’ll miss out on that.

• And lastly, don’t let your guacamole turn brown. Just don’t do it! So this is the issue – the avocado is the guacamole turns brown when it’s exposed to oxygen. So in order to prevent it from turning brown, you need to cut off it’s oxygen supply. I’ve tried a lot of tricks, but this is the best one: first, press a layer of plastic wrap onto the top of your guacamole container. Then add a half-inch of water on top of the guacamole before putting it in the fridge.  The water won't soak in. So when you're ready to eat your guacamole, just pour off the water and remove the plastic wrap. It'll stay green for quite a while that way!

Now that you’re prepared with the science of making the best guacamole, it’s time to get straight to the point and eat it!

Best Guacamole Recipe Ever 

Ingredients

• 2 ripe Hass avocados
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 – 1/2 jalapeño, including seeds and finely chopped

Directions

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits
2. Scoop the flesh of the avocados out of the rind and place in a medium bowl.
3. Pour lime juice and salt in bowl with avocados.
4. Mash it all together until just combined (don’t over mix!)
5. Fold in the red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño and mix well.
6. Taste the guacamole and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Recipe adapted from Chipotle