Guacamole might be one of the world’s most loved foods – I’m just guessing, this hunch is based on how people act around a bowl of the stuff.
The real gem of this guacamole recipe is the method used; it’s safe to say that the only reason not to love it is the speed in which it goes from a vibrant and inviting green to less than appealing brown. This recipe is all about how to slow the reaction that causes that.
My favorite additions to guacamole happen to be all green; there are no tomatoes, and no red onions. But that’s just me. This technique works with whatever your favorite additions are.
At a recent cocktail party I was catering, one of my servers noticed how I was manically covering every exposed millimeter of my guacamole with lime slices. It was a futile attempt; I was not winning the battle. She told me that there was a better way- a family secret from her mother in law who has lived in Mexico for many years.
I was delighted to hear from her a few days later with the “secret” from her mother in law. Lucky for all of us, she was happy to share it, saying she wants everyone to have green guacamole!
Serve with jicama tacos, Barbacoa, Tostones, Picadillo, or cut up veggies, or with eggs, or just about anything.
Want to see this recipe in action? Check out this video:
Never Browns Guacamole
Keep your guac green for hours with this simple trick!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 - 8 servings
- Category: condiment
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 1/2 cups cool water
- 3 ripe avocados, (halved and stone (pit) and skin removed)
- small handful cilantro, (minced)
- 3 scallions, (white and light green part only, diced)
- 1 jalapeño, (minced (seeds and membrane removed for mild, or not for spicy))
- juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the salt in the hot water. Add the cool water.
- Halve the avocados and remove the stone (see the video below for tutelage)
- Using a large spoon, scoop out the avocado halves and drop in the salt water. Allow them to soak in there for about 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop up your guacamole additions and add them to a bowl that has enough room for them and the avocados. My preferred combination is in the ingredients list above, but feel free to add your favorites.
- After the avocados have soaked, remove them from the salt water, give them a quick rinse, and drop into the bowl with the veggies. Mash with a fork, whisk, or potato masher. Season to taste; you probably won’t need any additional salt.
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Nicole says
Best kept secret Simone!! First time I’ve made guacamole and it turned out awesome! I added tomatoes to mine and nixed the cilantro (hate the stuff) and it was still delicious!
Sue Faurl says
I find you either love or hate cilantro–no in between. I always seed and juice my tomatoes chop small but mostly for color.
Lisa T says
I am totally using this trick – thanks so much!
Leigh says
I’m definitely going to try this.
Guacamole is one of the few mixed foods my 4 year old eats where I can possibly hide liquid or powder supplements. But he eats only about a quarter of an avocado’s worth per day, and by the third day it is too icky for him to eat. If this works for us, we won’t throw away half an avocado every couple of days!
(Our recipe is lemon juice, garlic powder, and coriander powder.)
Try this ... says
Could you not eat the avocado yourself to avoid wastage?
Amanda says
it’s not bad when it turns brown, just oxidized….
healingiseasy2 says
Oxidized is bad. Oxidation causes free radical damage.
E. W. says
I made pico de gallo and add that to my avocados! yummy! and love the spice. i’ll have to try the salt water trick next time 🙂
Jessica C. says
IT WORKED!! HA HA!!! Loved that my guac was BE-U-TI-FUL when I unveiled at a dinner party…. love.
Captured by Jess says
What does “stoned” mean?
Jessica C. says
The pit is sometimes called a stone…so take the pit out. 🙂
Jamie says
It did work for me but mine was super salty… Should I have rinsed off the avocados 1st before mashing them? I also may have left it soaking a bit longer but not that much longer….
Thank you
zenbellyblog says
I usually move my avocados to a clean bowl and make sure to not move much water with them. It’s sometimes on the salty side, but not overly, for my palette anyway… If it was too salty, definitely try rinsing them next time.
Jamie says
Thank you
I will try it again…..
Aulii says
I don’t know why but the phrase “stoned avocados” made me giggle 😉 I have this image of a cartoon strip with avocados lazing around looking for munchies. Thank you it’s a great tip!
zenbellyblog says
hahaha that is funny. What WOULD avocados eat when they have the munchies? 😉
Amanda Savage says
Tortilla chips? 😉 It made me chuckle too!
Jess says
Yummy! Thank you…..very tasty!!!
TW says
I will give it a go! Guac can’t be too salty for me 😉
Suzie says
Instead of that . Once you prepare your guacamole use the pit of the avocado and place it in your guacamole. This will prevent it from browning. Use all the pits and leave it in while you serve it.
MythBuster says
The pit method has been proven to be a myth and not at all effective. A thin layer of water on top of your guac before refrigerating will vastly slow the oxidation process that turns your guac brown.
Michele Brosch says
The salt water bath really seemed to do the trick! Have you tried this to keep sliced avocado from browning as well?
zenbellyblog says
I haven’t, but I bet it would work as well!
heather says
How long will it stay green for? You never said.. thank you
Adrienne says
Spraying your left over guacamole with any non-stick spray and then covering with plastic wrap works perfect!
zenbellyblog says
That’s great! But I don’t use non-stick spray, and my catering clients would be pissed if I served guacamole covered in plastic wrap… Tough to eat that way 😉
Serena says
Hot water or cold water?
zenbellyblog says
You could use 1/2 cup hot water to dissolve the salt, and then add the rest cold.
Jennifer says
I love avocados with salt and more salt anyway – so this was TERRIFIC for me – I peeled and *stoned* my avocado early in the morning then decided I wasn’t yet hungry for it….so I plopped it in salted water until late afternoon when I finally added it to a salad – GREEN and delicious. My avocado was just past prime – like I probably should have eaten it yesterday, so it was a bit oversoft and thus there were a few floaty bits in the water after that long soak – honestly, they probably came from the spoon I scooped the flesh with. I probably only added about 1- 1 1/2 T kosher salt to a couple of cups of water – just enough to cover the avocado in a small, tall bowl. I used coolish water, didn’t worry overmuch about dissolving the salt – just swished it quickly with a spoon. When time came to remove the avocado, I didn’t rinse it – just sliced it up and it was not overly salty at all, but it was fresh green and lovely. I’m going to experiment a bit since I have a bowl full of avocados. I’ll see how long they can sit in the water without deteriorating – maybe I’ll store one overnight in the water in the fridge, how long they stay green when out of the water, sliced or mashed. I’ve tried every other avocado stay-green-storage-trick out there (leave the pit in, reinsert the pit, cover tightly with plastic film, squirt with lemon or lime, rub with olive oil, store with chopped onions – a trick which actually works better than most others – etc.) Water boarding seems the most promising advice to date! THANK YOU! (ps – I love my zenbelly cookbook!!)
Calla says
About how many will this recipe serve?
zenbellyblog says
at least 4 if being used as part of dinner with tacos etc, probably around 8 for an appetizer.
Amanda says
I have used a similar truck with lettuce to help it keep it green and make it last up to 3x longer in the fridge, but I never thought to do it with avocado (duh). Thanks for the idea!
zenbelly says
oh smart! I’ve never done it with lettuce!
Liesl Calado says
I have always eschewed making my own guacamole because I would rather spend my precious time focused on the main course. But after years of owning your cookbook, I finally caved… Holy Guacamole!!! This was so delicious and, best of all, so freaking easy! And to further qualify the amazing-ness: my teenage son (a guacamole snob) couldn’t get enough. This will now be a weekly staple in my house at the very least. Only thing left to see is if my cat – the best cat in the world who happens to be named Guacamole – gives his seal of approval too (jk!).
Ben says
So the magic is in the saltwater bath? Interesting!
zenbelly says
yep!