Mashed avocados are a staple in my kitchen. They are easy to make, versatile, and delicious. However, they quickly turn brown if you don’t use them immediately.
How to keep mashed avocado from turning brown? There are many ways to prevent avocados from turning brown. Adding lemon juice and storing it in the refrigerator are two ways to slow the oxidation process.
Why does it turn brown? And how to prevent it from turning brown? This blog post will discuss the whys and hows in detail.
You don’t want to throw away beautiful avocados or a delicious batch of mashed avocados and guacamole because they’ve lost their emerald green glow and become brown.
Keep your avocados and their products looking as appetizing as they taste by using these simple tips.
Adding lemon or lime juice
The citric acid in lemon and lime juice acts as an antioxidant, dramatically slowing down the browning process.
Brushing fresh lemon, citrus, or lime juice over your avocado or mashed avocado will keep it from browning for at least a day.
Lime juice helps prevent the avocado from browning when added to the guacamole.
Add one tablespoon of lemon juice per half cup of avocado. Mash the avocado first, then mix the lemon juice in.
Putting mashed avocados In the refrigerator
Put avocados in the refrigerator immediately after mashing them. They will stay fresh longer this way. Storing avocados in the fridge slows the browning process. It also helps retain their texture.
To keep it from turning brown, place it in a glass container and pack it tightly so there are no air pockets in the mixture.
Submerge in the layer of water. Put 1/2 inch of water over the top of your mash, put a tight lid on it, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before using.
If you keep avocados in your refrigerator, they will last for up to two days without turning brown or becoming funky tasting.
Using a paper towel or plastic wrap
After eating your avocado, use a fresh paper towel to remove excess oil. The paper towel helps keep the avocado moist and prevents soggy.
If you don’t have a paper towel nearby, put the avocado on a plate and cover it with plastic wrap. Then press down on the top of the plastic wrap to absorb some water.
If you’re making guacamole, you’ll want to add tomatoes and onions to the mixture right away so they don’t get too soft. If you wait until later, the avocado may start to break down.
When adding tomatoes and onions to your guacamole, make sure you cut them into small pieces not to release too much liquid. This will help prevent the avocado from breaking down.
Oil
Oil is an excellent barrier against oxygen. Brush a light olive or vegetable oil coat onto its surface to prevent an avocado from going brown.
While this method works well for whole fruits, it’s not ideal for guacamoles because the surface is uneven and hard to brush.
Red Onion
If you have extra onions, they can be used to keep avocados fresh or guacamoles from browning. Cut the onions into large pieces, store them in the same container, or cover them with plastic wrap.
The gases released by onions prevent oxidation. As long as you ensure the red onion only contacts the skin of the avocado, there should be no noticeable flavor from storing the avocado alongside the onion.
Keeping the Pit or Seed
Some say that leaving a pit in an avocado or pressing a hole into a container of guacamole can also slow down the browning process.
To preserve the bright green color of your avocado mash, add a special ingredient – the seed! Store it atop your mixture and seal it with a silicone lid for maximum freshness.
Keep your avocados fresh and tasty by storing them in an airtight container. This will ensure that they don’t dry out or pick up any other flavors, no matter what method you use to keep the browning at bay.
About Mashed Avocado
It is simply a fresh avocado mashed with a fork or potato masher.
The most popular use is for making guacamole. A batch of guacamole is made by mashing ripe avocado with lime juice, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, and sometimes jalapeño peppers.
It can also be used in place of mayonnaise when making sandwiches, salad dressings, dips, and more. It also makes a great addition to smoothies.
How long does mashed avocado last?
If you keep avocados in your fridge, they’ll last for up to two days without turning brown or becoming funky tasting. If you want to store them longer, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer.
You can also freeze it in an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag and use it up to 6 months later for guacamole, tacos, smoothies, sandwiches, or just as mashed avocado!
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Why Do Your Mashed Avocado Turn Brown?
Avocados are tasty fruits that have many health advantages. They contain healthy fats (monounsaturated fatty acids), fiber, vitamins, minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium), antioxidants, and protein.
However, they can become mushy quickly when cut into slices or mashed. If this happens, the avocado will turn brown and lose its flavor.
What causes mashed avocado to turn brown?
To prevent browning, it’s essential to understand what causes it in the first place.
So why does this happen?
The green color of avocado flesh turns brown when it comes into contact with the oxygen in the air. When an avocado is surrounded by its skin, it keeps oxidation at bay, but the flesh begins to oxidize once you remove the skin.
It takes several hours before notice changes in the avocado’s skin.
Because avocados are the primary ingredients in guacamole (as well as salsa), your guacamole and salsa will begin to turn brown as they oxidize.
It doesn’t affect the taste, but it does affect appearance.
How does oxidation happen?
Some fruits and vegetables contain phenolic compounds and enzymes that, when exposed to air, will produce a dark brown-black pigment.
The cell surface usually serves as a barrier between these chemicals and oxygen. Still, when a product is cut or bruised, this barrier is broken, the products are oxygenated, and an oxidation reaction occurs.
Not all products contain these compounds; therefore, not all products will turn dark when cut open.
How can I prevent oxidation?
Since oxygen is the catalyst for this reaction, it makes sense that preventing oxygen exposure would prevent browning. Several methods exist to avoid oxygen exposure or avoid the oxygenating reaction.
Is it safe to eat guacamole after it turns brown?
If you keep your avocado refrigerated, you should be able to eat it for the next few days.
If you’re not willing to follow the tips for keeping your avocado fresh, scrape the oxidized layer off your guacamole before continuing to eat.
FAQs
How do you keep mashed avocado green?
Keep that avocado fresh! Make sure to tuck it away in the fridge right after you mash it up – it doesn’t take much for its color to change from vibrant green to dull brown.
Avocados turn brown when exposed to light. So, putting them in the refrigerator immediately after mixing them will keep them from turning brown.
How long does mashed avocado last?
It keeps for about three days in the refrigerator. It will begin to lose its texture after one day.
Why does mashed avocado go brown?
Keep your avocados fresh by taking them out of the fridge at just the right moment, and letting them sit too long results in oxidation and an unappetizing color change, not to mention a loss of flavor!
