Skip to main content

Preparing an Avocado

By
After Penelope Middleton published her latest book on Amazon, "Exotic Cooking," she received a number of emails asking how to safely and easily seed an avocado. She did the 'honest thing' and forwarded the emails to me! So, rising to the occasion like a hungry bass chasing a tasty meal, here's my suggested way to prepare an avocado. Beware... my way does involve a large, sharp knife!
Liberating the Avocado Seed (Pit)
First place the avocado on a suitable cutting board. With an 8 inch chef's knife or similar, score the avocado from the stem end all around the length of the avocado. Cut in deep enough so you feel the blade's edge touch the single, large seed. After you've circled the avocado, hold the avocado in your two hands and twist along the cutline. The avocado should separate into two halves. One half will contain the large, brownish seed.
Place the Avocado half with the seed on the cutting board, seed up. Keep your fingers away from the avocado. Use your chef's knife's cutting edge, sharply strike a blow on the center of the seed. Sink the blade into the seed. Then, holding the avocado half with one hand, gently twist the seed counterclockwise. The seed will come free from the avocado half.
Removing the Seed from the Knife
I remove the seed from the blade by gently pulling the seed from the blade using the stainless steel edge of the sink. After washing the seed to remove any residual avocado flesh, I prepare the seed for rooting.
Avocado Slices
To make avocado slices, take a butter knife's dull back edge and score the avocado flesh at ¼ inch intervals, cutting to the shell but not through it. With the back edge of the butter knife, run it around the inside of the shell, loosening the slices. The slices should slip away from the shell and fall out onto a waiting plate.
And there you have it: a pitted avocado, sliced and ready for your use!
Starting an Avocado Seedling
I take an empty half liter plastic water bottle (I used an Arrowhead™ water bottle) and with a sharp razor knife, slice the bottle in half just above the flare in the center. I drilled four holes around the pointed end of the seed using my trusty electric hand drill and a 1/16 inch drill bit. After seating a toothpick firmly into each of the four holes, I suspend the seed in the bottom half of the plastic bottle. I fill the bottom half with enough water to almost submerge the seed. Then I place the seed in its starter container on a sunny windowsill. When the seedling has grown a stem about one foot tall, I transplant it to a soil-filled clay pot. And that's my new avocado tree, started from a seed.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

7 Sautéing & Stir Frying Recipes to Try With MEC

By
Sauteing & Stir frying is easier and healthier when done with MEC pots and pans. One of the biggest issues with this kind of cooking in conventional pots/pans is — the food sticks to the bottom, burns, and quite a bit is lost to burnt food. Some might think the non-stick pans and other coated or enameled cookware are a good options for this reasons, but they have an even more serious issues — the coating that makes them “non-stick” is full of chemicals and toxins that contaminate food and render it unhealthy.  Just  one  of these chemicals are a group called  perfluoroalkyl substances.   These and other so called “oil and water repellent chemicals” are in all the coating materials. These chemicals are also known for their disruption in the hormone producing organs, immune dysfunction, high cholesterol and even various forms of cancer. How is Sautéing & Stir Frying Different with MEC? Food sticking or burning to the pot is a ...
Post a Comment
check it out yourself>>

Back to Basics Cooking, Baking & Grilling

By
keeping your area clean while you cook is a chore in its self. My husband always laughs about the after math when I'm done baking. Here are some helpful ways to improve on making less of a mess in the first place. Use a bowl for your scraps and garbage as you go saving you time running to the trash making you more efficient. Using a thin flexible mat for your cutting board makes transferring vegetables to your pot much easier, by using the flexible mat as a funnel. Getting into the habit of using a splatter screen when sauteing or shallow frying will save you a lot of time on your clean-up later. Measuring ingredients and using cooking spray over the sink will keep messes confined to an easy to clean area. Keeping a bottle of soapy water handy make it more likely that cleaning up as you go will become part of your cooking habits. Another tip is to cook more slowly. Be a deliberate in measuring, chopping and wiping between each step. but this is one tip I often don't follow m...
Post a Comment
check it out yourself>>

Grilling Fresh Vegetables: 5 Tips Every Griller Should Know

By
When it comes to grilling, cooking fresh produce is different compared to cooking meat. One is quicker cooking time. Most vegetables have water content so when cooked on the grill, most of it will evaporate. As a result, the sugars become more condensed and the flavour becomes more concentrated, their natural flavour is enhanced. Enjoy a healthy snack or side dish - remember these helpful tips when grilling fresh vegetables! Wash veggies thoroughly Vegetables should be washed thoroughly before cooking. After washing, pat them dry with paper towels. Brush veggies with melted butter or oil or use non-stick cooking spray to prevent them from sticking to the grates. Make sure they are dry before brushing with oil - otherwise the oil won't stick. Cut them right To achieve perfectly-grilled vegetables, cut or slice them in uniform sizes - not too small that they'll fall through the grill grates but not too large to prevent longer cooking time. Use skewers if you prefer cooki...
Post a Comment
check it out yourself>>