Avocados

Question: Can you grow avocados in kansas? If so, how do you plant them and when do you harvest them? I need to know if avocados will grow in my outdoor garden in Kansas. If they will grow, then when do I plant them and how long will it take to harvest the first crop? Also does anyone know where I can purchase plants or seeds? I would prefer the plants.

Answer: It is a tree that takes about 10 years! think it is too cold in Kansas.

Question: What are some simple recipes using avocados as a main ingredient? My doctor said I needed to gain weight. My friends on Y/A said avocados are a vegatable that is high in calories. I have never cooked with them. So I don't know much about them. Like how do you know when they are ripe. How long do they keep for. Any web sites would be great, that are about avocados and recipes would be great. Oh, and also if your recipes could be for 1-2 servings, I live alone, and I hate wasting stuff.

Answer: Mmmmm. I love avocadoes. Very high in hear healty fats. Link below tells you everything you need to know.

Question: How do i get avocados ripe and soft? I just bought a few avocados and i want to use two of them tomorrow to make guacemole. To make guacemole i need two soft avocados and the ones i just bought today are quite hard. Does anyone know how to make avocados soften faster? Like ripen faster?

Answer: put them in a paper bag and put them in a dark place like a cupboard. i don't know if they will be ripe enough by tomorrow, but it will help ripen them faster

Question: How can I keep Squirrels from eating my Avocados? I have a Avocado tree that bears HUGE Avocados,some are big as a Soccer ball! Each year while the Avocados are just starting to grow, Squirrels bother them,often knocking them from the tree. I have placed fake Owls to try to scare the Squirrels ,sprayed all the Squirrel repelants I could find,soaked a rag in Fox urine and placed it on the fence next to tree but,the Squirrels keep coming back to molest the Avocados. I can't shoot them ,I could trap them but there are so many to trap. Any ideas?

Answer: Hire a ninja

Question: Are avocados safe to eat with brown spots inside the peel and on the flesh? I love avocados and recently I bought some that all had brown spots inside, Is it ok to eat them like that?

Answer: Sure, I've done it before and I'm still alive and kicking today. It's just the avocado's bruises and it may be getting a tad overripe. Better hurry up and eat it!

Question: Keep avocados from getting too ripe? I found a good deal on avocados yesterday-Monday (I need them for guacamole on Saturday). How can I keep them from getting too ripe before then? I have heard refridgeration makes them blacken-is this true? Thanks.

Answer: Leave them on the counter until they are nice and ripe, then refrigerate them to slow down the ripening process. They'll be fine. They don't blacken.

Question: Is there a faster way to ripen avocados rather than doing the paper bag thing? I read that if you put avocados in a brown paper bag with an apple or tomato or banana, it ripens them more quickly, but is there a way to do it faster? Setting them out in the sun maybe?

Answer: I heard putting them in a bag with a banana but not the apple or tomato.

Question: What's a recipe I can use to preserve avocados that I won't be able to eat right away? There's only so much guacamole and avocado smoothies I can stand during a single season. I'm looking for things I can make with avocados that can be either frozen or canned or otherwise preserved. Question, what do I do with the frozen puree? More guacamole and smoothies?

Answer: I once had a lot of Avocados I received from a neighbor and I made Avocad breadsand Avocado Muffins. You can freeze them. This is a recipe for one loaf. 2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg 1/2 cup mashed avocado (1 medium avocado) 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup chopped pecans Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend thoroughly. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg and avocado. Stir in the buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and blend well. Stir in the pecans. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. OR Avocado Muffins 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 avocado, pureed 1 cup toasted silvered almonds 1 cup milk 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Dash of grated lemon zest Heat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare muffin pans. Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg. Blend in the avocado, almonds and milk. Add dry ingredients and mix gently until all ingredients are moistened and combined. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Add lemon zest.

Question: How can I stop my avocados from ripening more? My avocados are pretty much perfectly ripened, but I know I can't use them (at least not all of them) before they start to go bad and get mushy and rotten. Will refrigerating them halt the ripening process without ruining the avocados?

Answer: Take them out of the skin and put them in the freezer in a plastic bag. They freeze great. I like to keep them only about 1/4" thick though so they thaw quick when I need them. Refridgerating doesn't do it.

Question: How long do avocados last that are in the frig? I bought two avocados for a dip that I was going to make this weekend and turns out I didn't make it. Will they last 7 days in the frig or should I just go ahead and make the dip?

Answer: If they weren't completely rip you should not have put them in the fridge. The coolling stops the ripening of avacados and putting them out on the counter afterwards will not help. So if they are good and ripe then go ahead and stick them in the fridge for a couple days. If they are nt ripe then you have a couple of days. You could also make the dip now and make sure you have a good amount of acid such as lemon or lime juice. Then cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic in on the surface anywhere there is avacado. It will last around a week this way. But do put it off as long as you can, if you have another day or 2 before they are perfectly ripe then wait, then make the dip.

Question: What should I do with these avocados I just bought? I just got two ripe avocados at the store today. What should I do with them? I am an avocado novice and, aside from guacamole I don't know how to use them.

Answer: You can make a salad and put the avocados in the salad. Make guacamole, of course. If you make an omelet you can top it with the avocados, or even put them inside with some other ingredients that you have. I've even sprinkled them with salt and poured hot sauce on them and eaten them straight out of the shell. Hope this helps!

Question: When are avocados in season in Southern California? I have an avocado tree in my backyard. It has A LOT of avocados on it but I picked one the other day and it's still hard.

Answer: It depends on the variety of avocado. Some are ready right now and others won't be ready for a month or so. It's best if you pick avocados while they are hard and they can ripen off the tree. Harvest and post-harvest The avocado is a climacteric fruit, which means that it matures on the tree but ripens off the tree. Avocados used in commerce are picked hard and green and kept in coolers at 38 to 42°F (3.3 to 5.6°C) until they reach their final destination. Avocado must be mature to ripen properly. Avocados that fall off the tree ripen on the ground, and depending on the amount of oil they contain, their taste and texture may vary greatly. Generally, the fruit is picked once it reaches maturity; Mexican growers pick Hass-variety avocados when they have more than 23% dry matter and other producing countries have similar standards. Once picked, avocados ripen in a few days at room temperature (faster if stored with other fruits such as bananas, because of the influence of ethylene gas). Premium supermarkets sell pre-ripened avocados treated with synthetic ethylene to hasten the ripening process.[6] In some cases, avocados can be left on the tree for several months, which is an advantage to commercial growers who seek the greatest return for their crop; however, if the fruit stays on the tree for too long it will fall to the ground.

Question: What are the best avocados to buy? In the grocery store I see big green avocados and smaller black wrinkled ones. Which one is better for eating? Is there a difference between the two? Every time I go to a hispanic restaurant I order avocado on the side and I love it so much.

Answer: Get the Hass avocado, which is the smaller, rough skinned avocado. The smooth skinned avocado which is larger tends to be more watery and less buttery.

Question: What can I make with avocados? What can I make with avocados? What types of food can I make, and what can I put it in as a compliment? (Like in a sandwich) I know you can make guacamole dips, are there avocado dips also? Thanks!

Answer: This is something I ate while in Oaxaca, Mexico..if your a fan of tuna u will love it.. cut an avocado in half....and take out the seed...then in another bowel open a can of tuna and drain the oil..out in a bowl along with a finely chopped up half of a wht onion along with some cilantro, olive oil and fresh lime juice. Kinda prepare it to taste....salt and pepper the mixture...then stuff it back inside the avocado. Slice up a tomato salt and pepper it to taste and place everything on a plate and enjoy! If you want to follow an exact recipe I found one that is similar to what I had in Oaxaca. You can also have some chips like corn chips to eat with it. Trust me its really good. ;D

Question: Know any good recipes that use avocados? I love avocados, but rarely eat them because they're so high in fat content. I normally just cut them up and put them in salad, but haven't done that in ages because I'm kinda on a diet. I guess I'm just wondering if anybody has anything more creative to do with avocados? Recipes, ideas? Also, if you do have recipes, do you have the nutritional content for them? If not, that's fine, I'm just trying to branch out a little. Thanks!

Answer: Tomato Avocado Salsa 8 Roma tomatoes, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1-2 seeded minced jalapeno peppers 1/2c chopped cilantro 2 avocados, chopped 1tsp salt juice of 1/2 lemon Chop avocado and toss with lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients, refrigerate at least one hour before serving with chips. Sometimes I add 8oz. of mock crab.

Question: What are things that could be whipped up using avocados? A relative recently brought over a basket of avocados which she felt were the best she had ever laid eyes on and just had to share them with us. I have to be honest and tell you that we have no idea what to do with them...In general we don't like avocados and thus, we never buy them. Would anyone share any "light" recipes that include avocados as an ingredient but won't be filled with their taste?

Answer: I often used sliced avocados in tacos! Beef or chicken, just slice them and lay on the tortilla, then fill with whatever filling you are using, plus tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, etc. Of course, guacamole is an obvious choice, and you can spice it up so that the avocado is flamed out. http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?s_type=%2Frecipes.php&q=guacamole&Search=Search&Searcht=Search Although avocados are high in fat, it is a "good" (healthy) fat. You need some good fat in your diet because a lot of vitamins are fat-soluable, rather than water-soluable.