I never liked guacamole as a kid. In fact I only just started coming around to avocados a few years ago. I think that’s because the avocados we can get here in Wisconsin aren’t the greatest. Even when soft and ripe, they’re generally bland. I’ve been told that in places like California, they’re much more flavorful. I’ll have to take their word for it.
So, I prefer my guacamole to be a pico-like salsa with creamy avocado as a binder. Lots of tomato, white onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice are key, as far as I’m concerned. Even if you mash the avocados smoothly, it’ll still be chunky. I’m still not a fan of the totally smooth stuff with little else in it besides avocados.
And for god’s sake don’t add things like mayonnaise or sour cream or whatever other creamy product to your guacamole. The avocados are already creamy, that’s the whole point. There’s no reason to add dairy products; it will just water down (if you will) the already delicate flavor of the avocados. No bueno.
If you’re onion adverse, try my favorite trick: rinsing them. Sliced or chopped onions (in this case, white or red) can have a harshness to them, even sweet varieties. That’s caused by the cells being ruptured by your knife and giving off the icky and harsh smelling stuff. (Here’s the actual science from Kenji Lopez-Alt.) So, all you have to do to get rid of most of them is rinse them. I just plop the onions in a mesh strainer, and rinse them under cold tap water for a minute or so. They lose almost all their harshness. It’s great for raw onion applications like guac and salads. You should see my salads, I pile them with rinsed shaved red onion!
The lime in this will help prevent the guac from browning quickly, but it still will eventually. To store leftovers, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the guac, like you would a homemade pudding to prevent a skin.
Chop your veggies however you prefer. I tend to use cherry tomatoes in winter, since they’re by far the best you can get in Wisconsin that time of year, so I use one of those hand-powered chopper things similar to a manual food processor. If I’m using roma tomatoes, I just dice them by hand. Use whatever method you prefer.
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/2 c chopped tomatoes, drained if juicy
- 1/3 c finely chopped white onion, rinsed and drained
- 1-2 chopped jalapenos
- handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of one half a lime
- Salt
- Halve the avocados, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Place in a bowl.
- Add the other ingredients and mash with your preferred utensil: fork, potato masher, spoon, etc.
- Taste for seasoning. If it tastes a bit bland or dull, add a bit more lime and salt. I find that guacamole needs more salt than you think it does.
- Eat right away, and store leftovers in the fridge with plastic wrap directly on the surface.