Avocados

Season: Year Round. Although technically a fruit, avocados are typically served as a vegetable. There are many varieties of avocados, but the readily available Haas avocados have some of the best flavor. Avocados actually ripen once they are off the tree. The degree of softness will tell you the degree of ripeness of an avocado. The softer the fruit, the riper it is. Unless you intend to use avocados the same day they are bought, buy them a little firm, as they will ripen within a few days. You can hasten the ripening process by storing your avocados in a brown paper bag. Once ripe, the avocados blemish quite easily so handle them with care. Once exposed to air, the green flesh will start to turn brown. You can stop this by sprinkling the peeled avocado with a little lemon juice or vinegar. Some people say that leaving the pit in contact with the avocado will stop it from turning brown, but this does not have great results, lemon or vinegar is better.