A delectable dip of guacamole and a scrumptious plate of nachos is a match made in heaven. This combination has gratified the taste buds and satisfied the tummies of many hungry individuals during numerous lazy nights on the couch. This is why seeing your precious guacamole browning is one of the most disappointing and disheartening sights you will come across.
Futile Efforts to Preserve
The sorrow of rejection or loneliness pales in comparison to the anguish of throwing away a meticulously prepared bowl of guacamole. Not everyone has the time to slice up a fresh batch of avocados and prepare another bowl of guacamole once the previous one has gone brown. This compels people to come up with solutions to this agonizing “browning” predicament. More often than not, the creative efforts of guacamole lovers in trying to preserve their favourite avocado dish prove to be futile.
Understanding the “Browning” Problem
If you really want to stop your guacamole from turning brown, you need to get to the root of the problem and understand why this browning occurs in the first place. When the guacamole or the avocado darkens in colour, it does so because of oxidation reaction taking place. In other words, the oxygen in the air combines with the elements in the guacamole or the avocado to produce a dark brown hue. This happens when the avocado is peeled. The skin of the avocado keeps it protected from oxidation before it is broken. You can notice a similar oxidation reaction in apples as well.
Restricting Oxygen and Lowering pH Level
The key to retaining the freshness of guacamole and stopping it from browning lies in restricting its exposure to oxygen. This needs to be done as soon as the guacamole is prepared. In fact, it is preferable to implement measures to prevent oxidation right after the avocado skin has been taken off.
It is also important to ensure that pH level of the avocado or the guacamole is lowered. This is done to slow down the function of enzymes in the avocado which catalyze the oxidation reaction. The simplest way of lowering the pH level of the avocado is by adding lime or lemon juice.
Easy Steps to Prevent Browning
Stopping your guacamole from browning is not exactly the most difficult task in the world. As long as you understand the science behind the process, you can come up with your own techniques to prevent the oxidation reaction from taking place. If you are not sure of what to do, here are some simple steps to guide you along:
- Once you have prepared the guacamole, separate the portion of the food that is not needed for immediate consumption and transfer it to an air tight container. Glass or Pyrex containers are ideal for this application. While you are filling up the container, make sure that there are no air bubbles within the guacamole. In other words, do not simply plop it in there.
- After you have placed the guacamole inside the container, squirt a bit of lemon and lime juice on the top. Some people like to go overboard with this technique. There is no need to pour a glass full of lime juice or lemon on the guacamole. Just a simple squirt will do the trick.
- The final step is to cut a square piece of saran wrap. The wrap has to be large enough to cover the entire surface of the guacamole on top. While placing the wrap, try to make it as taut and stretched out as possible in order to eliminate any air bubbles in sight.
If you have followed these three simple steps correctly, you can pop in the container with the guacamole in the refrigerator. This will stop browning and keep your guacamole as good as new for an extended period of time.
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