Choosing the Perfect Avocado for Your DIY Taco Bar

I was always kind of indifferent toward avocados. But that (like most things in my life) changed when I got pregnant.

It’s kind of a funny story, actually. It was very early in my first trimester. I don’t remember how many weeks along I was, but it was early enough that I hadn’t even told my best friends. I was at work when I suddenly had an urgent craving for guacamole.

Guacamole? So weird. I’d had it maybe 3 times in my whole life. But at that moment, I needed to eat it like my life depended upon it. So on my way home from work, I stopped at Publix to buy the ingredients to make guacamole at home. I knew I needed avocados. But I had no idea what a ripe avocado was supposed to look or feel like.

So I did what any girl in my position would do. I called my best friend, Ami. (She’s the one who knew how to cook. Like with vegetables and everything.)

I remember standing in the produce section, cell service cutting off multiple times, trying to casually ask for avocado buying advice without seeming too crazed or revealing my pregnancy. I managed to pick out a couple of decent avocados and some pre-made guacamole mix, and I went home and stuffed my face, pregnancy secret still intact.

A few weeks later, when I told Ami that I was pregnant, she marveled at my ability to keep it a secret for so many weeks. “I can’t believe you didn’t accidentally mention any weird symptoms or cravings,” she said. Then I reminded her about the avocados.

Choosing the Perfect Avocado

That was about 10 years ago, and my pregnant passion for avocados has stuck around. I love guacamole and try to always have some avocados in the house for salads, tacos, guac, or just to eat whole. And I’m not alone. Did you know that people across the United States eat more than 1.3 billion pounds of avocados each year?

Picking the perfect avocado can be tricky, even for the most experienced Mexican Fiesta Maven. Here are a few tips that I’ve picked up from my own experience and around the web:

• Avocados don’t ripen on the tree. They ripen after they’re harvested, which is why you see so many unripe avocados in the grocery store.
• Look for fruit that is dark but not black, maybe with just a hint of green.
• Firmness is more important than color. A ripe avocado will yield slightly to gentle pressure. A hard avocado isn’t ripe yet; a squishy one is overripe.
• Avoid avocados with bruises or soft spots.
• If you purchase an unripe avocado, you can ripen it at home. Just put it in a brown paper bag and leave it at room temperature, and it should ripen in a few days.

DIY Taco Bar

We love a good DIY taco bar for Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo. The dinner kits from Old El Paso taste great and make meal prep super easy. They come with shells (hard, soft, or both), taco seasoning, and taco sauce.

Then just add your own toppings, like Old El Paso Refried Beans or Canned Chiles, plus fresh toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream…

And don’t forget the guacamole! I used this recipe from avacadosfrommexico.com for my guacamole (with a few modifications based on what I had in the house):

Fresh & Fast Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 4 avocados Hass Avocados from Mexico – cubed
• 4 Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
• 1 cilantro leaves only
• 1 jalapeno finely minced
• 2 cloves of garlic pressed or minced
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 1 lime juiced

Directions:

1. Mix onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice and garlic.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and mix.
3. Gently fold in avocados.
4. Serve with fresh veggies or tortilla chips.

Do you shop at Publix? Visit readyplansave.com for coupons to save on Old El Paso and lots of your other favorite brands! (Available while supplies last.)

In anticipation of Cinco de Mayo, I’m giving away $10 PayPal cash to help you plan a perfect fiesta! Super easy entry this time: Just 1) visit avacadosfrommexico.com, 2) use the menu to find the Recipe Center, 3) find a recipe that catches your eye, and 4) leave the name of the recipe in the comments below. 

Leave your comment by 5/4/15, and I will use random.org to select a winner on 5/5/15.

Stuff you should know before you enter the giveaway —> * This giveaway is open to US residents only. You must be 18+ to enter. Please, only one entry per person. Winner will be notified via email and given 48 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner may be selected. Mommy Runs It is responsible for prize fulfillment. Giveaway ends 5/4/15 at 11:59 p.m. EST.*