DIY Guacamole Seasoning Recipe - Peas and Crayons Blog (2024)

FAQs

Does olive oil prevent guacamole from turning brown? ›

Method: Brushing the Surface of the Guacamole with Olive Oil

About this method: This method is recommended by a few different sites, including SELF, Stonehill Produce, and Tasting Table. Smoothing the surface of the guacamole and then brushing olive oil on top is thought to prevent browning.

Fresh lime juice and zest – They make the guacamole zesty and bright. Jalapeño – For heat. Feel free to omit it if you're sensitive to spice. A serrano pepper would work here too!

If you taste your guac and it is bland, start with more salt. Next, add lime juice. Often an additional pop of citrus is all guac needs to come alive and taste better.

DOES LEMON JUICE KEEP GUACAMOLE FROM TURNING BROWN? Yes! The lemon forms a barrier between the outside air and the guacamole to make sure the dip stays its greenest. Seal it in a container or with plastic wrap and refrigerate it.

Topping off your avocado dip with water keeps air, at least in part, from being able to penetrate the guacamole, which keeps it from browning. By using this simple technique, you can keep the brown at bay for about two days (maybe longer if you're lucky).

The KaleJunkie creator shared this air-tight trick using a sliced onion to stop the avocado's flesh from turning brown. "The onion releases sulfur, which keeps your avocado green," she said, explaining the chemical reaction that halts the oxygen from interacting with the enzymes in an avocado.

Citrus fruits naturally contain strong antioxidants, which work against oxygen to slow down spoiling or browning in certain foods. Simply brush a little lemon or lime juice across the flesh of a sliced avocado, seal it in an airtight container, and it should delay the browning process for about a day.

Make your guacamole, then place any uneaten dip in a resealable container. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the dip, lightly pressing all over to make sure the plastic is directly in contact with the entire surface of the dip. Store the guacamole in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

The perfect guacamole should be a cross between creamy and chunky. You'll want a mix of avocado chunks and creamy mashed avocado. My tip is to use a fork to mash the avocado but avoid over-mixing the first time around, this will create too much creaminess and be more like avocado puree rather than guacamole.

Most people prefer to use sweet white onion in their guacamole recipe. Red or yellow onion tends to give the guacamole too strong of a garlic flavor.

Why you should leave the lime out of guacamole? ›

Diana Kennedy all but forbids it in The Art Of Mexican Cooking, saying it “spoils the balance of flavors.” In Hugo Ortega's Street Foods Of Mexico, Ortega writes, “the secret to a good guacamole is to respect the avocado flavor and not drown it in lime juice” (he adds a scant 1/4 teaspoon for two large avocados).

Other seasonings and spices like paprika or cayenne can add a kick to standard guacamole. Crushed red pepper, cayenne, paprika, or even garlic powder can up the flavor in a store-bought guacamole and allow you to cater it to your own tastes.

Typically the recipe is 3 to 4 avocados, 1 to 2 tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 1 to 2 hot peppers, 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice, 1 garlic clove (optional), and salt and pepper to taste. Adding too much lemon or lime juice can cause a very watery guacamole.

But as every guac fan knows, the stuff has a tendency to look nasty in a hurry, a problem only compounded when the product is made in advance. Fortunately for Wholly, the brand had already pioneered a high-pressure process that removes all the air from the container, so the batch doesn't oxidize and turn brown.

“Each panned guac gets sealed airtight with Saran Wrap,” he said. “Then it gets lidded, labeled and stored for later use. This process ensures freshness and prevents browning,” he continued.

Coat with lemon or lime juice

Due to the citric acid, the browning process is significantly slowed. This is one of the more common, well-known methods for preserving cut avocados, but there's more where that came from.

After slicing avacado give it a coating in lemon juice. Oxygen makes it turn brown. Lemon juice slows this process down. Also sushi places will use fresh avacado daily and keep the cut slices in an air tight container.