Food glossary

Avocado

Avocado

Hass avocados have a smooth, dark green skin whereas Ryan avocados have a distinctive knobbly black skin and a nutty flavour. Both varieties yield slightly when ripe. Inside you'll find smooth, pale yellowy-green flesh. Avocados are rich in vitamin E, the antioxidant vitamin, but they also contain monounsaturated fat and so, for fruit, they are high in calories. Available all year

Uses:
In salads, guacamole and dips.

To store:
Ripen at room temperature in a paper bag for a couple of days. Do not store them in the fridge, as they will go black.

To prepare:
Cut in half lengthways down to the stone and all the way round. Twist the two halves in opposite directions and pull apart. Remove the stone by using the point of a sharp knife to lift it out. The flesh of an avocado will soon start to go brown after it has been cut, so prepare it just before serving. When making guacamole, add lemon or lime juice to prevent discolouration.