Avocado Toast — It’s Not Just for Millenials
Avocado toast is not a new idea, but it has become more popular in recent years, especially among younger crowds. However, a simple avocado toast can be enjoyed by the whole family — even the kids! Read on for simple avocado toast ideas and to learn how to make your best avocado toast ever.
How to Choose the Right Avocado
Many of us have had the experience of picking a seemingly perfect avocado only to find out it is under ripe or past peak usage. It seems like avocados have the narrowest “ripe” window of all fruits, so it’s important to pick the right one before it becomes a lost cause.
To choose the right avocado, follow these easy steps.
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Look at the color
An avocado with darker green skin may be more ripe than lighter avocados. An avocado with dark blemishes is likely to be over-ripe. However, you can’t always pick a ripe avocado based on the skin color alone.
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Feel the avocado
Gently squeeze the avocado by holding it with the base of the fingers and your palm and applying even pressure, being careful not to dent the fruit. It should have some “give” but not be easily dented.
Ripeness Scale
As you feel the avocado, the firmness will help you know which ripeness stage it is at.
- Not ripe — Firm but unyielding
- Almost ripe — Softer, but still does not yield to firm pressure
- Ready to use — Slightly soft but not mushy
- Overripe — Very mushy to the touch
You should look for an avocado that is almost ripe or ready to use if you want to use it for avocado toast.
Preparing Your Avocado
An avocado can’t simply be cut in half, because of the stone inside. Instead, you’ll have to work around the pit before you can get to the rest of the avocado.
Hold the avocado on one side with one hand. With your other hand, take a large, sharp knife and cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Open the two halves to expose the pit. Once the pit is exposed, you have to take it out.
You can remove the avocado pit in a few different ways, including:
- Tapping the pit hard enough with the sharp side of your knife to pierce it and pull it out
- Using a spoon to scoop out the pit (you might lose some of the avocado insides in the process)
- Making another lengthwise cut through the avocado to expose more of the pit, which makes it easier to remove
From here, scoop the avocado out of its skin, leaving it mostly intact, to use it for your avocado toast. With the avocado in a separate container, mash it with a fork. Avoid mashing directly on your toast to help keep the bread from ripping. You can also choose the consistency of your avocado by how much you mash it. Just a few smooshes will give you chunkier avocado while lots of mashing creates a creamier texture.
Selecting the Right Bread
Avocado toast is considered an open-face sandwich, so many people assume that regular sandwich bread will suffice for an avocado toast recipe. However, many people agree that thick-cut, moister, whole-grain bread makes for the best avocado toast recipe.
Toast your bread in a toaster, oven, or on the stove until you have golden, firm toast.
Building Your Avocado Toast Recipe
Aside from the bread and avocado, the options for an avocado toast recipe are nearly endless. Most people start out with the simplest version of avocado toast (bread, avocado, and salt) and move to more involved recipes from there.
For variations to your avocado toast recipe, try the following options:
- Add garlic to the bread before spreading the avocado
- Top avocado with leafy herbs or sauces like pesto, zhong sauce, or chimichurri
- Fry or scramble an egg and put it on top of the avocado spread
- Sprinkle Everything But The Bagel seasoning (a popular option)
You could also go for more upscale avocado toast options, including:
- Smoked salmon and red onions
- Cucumbers and dill
- Tomato, mozzarella, and balsamic glaze
Find More Recipe Inspiration
Looking for more recipe ideas to shake up your cooking game? Check out Blendtec.com for new recipes or new takes on old favorites.
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