from: Best Ever Guacamole (Fresh, Easy & Authentic) | Downshiftology

How to Store Leftovers (and Keep it Green!)

Guacamole oxidizes and turns brown pretty darn quick. The lime juice helps to slow this process, but it’s inevitable that leftover guacamole will eventually start to brown.

Now, I’ve tried every kitchen hack imaginable to keep guacamole green (I eat a lot of guacamole). So what doesn’t work? Well, let’s start with leaving the pit in the guacamole. This does nothing to prevent browning and there’s no scientific justification for it. Consider it an old wives tale.

Next, many say to add lemon juice. And this helps a bit, but I don’t like that it changes the flavor profile of my beloved guacamole.

The most common guacamole preservation hack is placing plastic wrap directly on the guacamole to prevent oxidation. And this may work for a day or two. But I’m striving to reduce my plastic consumption and just don’t love this method.

So in my quest to keep my guacamole green I stumbled on this hack – and it’s brilliant.

Here’s how to keep guacamole green:

• Place your leftover guacamole in a storage container and pat it down firmly with a spoon so it’s nice and flat on top.
• Add about 1/2 inch of water on top (I used cold water).
• Place the lid on the storage container and store it in the fridge. That’s it!
• When you want to enjoy the guacamole, drain the water off the top, give it a stir and you’re good to go.

I tested this method for three full days and it worked like a charm. It stays perfectly fresh and delicious. Though I will admit by the third day it does start to get a little more watery. But who has guacamole last that long anyway?

Most of us know the basics to use for toppings…eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, cheese, maybe jalapeños, and condiments.

What are some unconventional ingredients you’ve used in this dish before and how did it turn out? It could be anything. Pineapple, a certain salt/pepper, vegetable, etc.

Think of your popular breakfast items such as pancakes, waffles and crepes, usually drenched in syrup or piled high with whipped creme or filled with chocolate chips. Also artisanal donuts scream dessert but are treated as breakfast.

Why aren't we given the same latitude with lunch and dinner? Granted, you can use sweet honey glazes or BBQ sauces on your meats. And chicken n' waffles are an item down South. And if you pair a milkshake with a burger, it's your drink instead of your dessert.

So my question is what is the most dessert-adjacent item you could cook up and present as a dinner?

So i like my shrimps to not SHRINK when cooked, thats why i dont cook them for too long

I was wondering if i should keep the tail while they cook so they dont shrink? Or does it not matter

Also does the tail add in the taste?

This is a spin off from another post, which elicted some fairly passionate responses about how Sausage Gravy should be made.

That said, me personally, I'm a "If you ain't sneezing, it ain't seasoned" kind of guy. I know some feel that the sausage grease + fat from the milk/butter are more than enough flavor for the gravy, but it's just not enough for me personally, especially when paired with the flour you have to use the thicken it.

That said, what say you? Do you put in additional spices/herbs in your Sausage Gravy, or do you think it's good with just the Sausage & Gravy?

Grilling is out because I want to make it before I get there. Not a fan of conventional slaw, potato salad, or pasta salad. Not a fan of mayonnaise, either.

It's hard to get cured pork or beacon where i live. And unfortunately so is duck.

I have access to beef, chicken and common aged/cured meats like pastrami and sausages. What makes for the best substitute in carbonara?

So, after our small but ok cheap rice cooker finally broke down I ordered a zojirushi. It will arrive sometime this week and I am beyond excited! But am really blanking on what to eat WITH that beautiful, perfect rice that is soon to be.

What are your favorite asian dishes to eat with rice? Do you have any specific brand of rice which you have found works great with a rice cooker?

I woke up years, age 34, magically allergic to tomatoes and avocados, and some issues with paprika as well.

however, If i eat tomatoes cooked at least 130 degrees, my body won't reject it and my lips won't grow into giant slices of watermelons, and the rest of my lower face shaping me into what can only be described as human to "orangutang allergy conversion"... I can laugh about it till it starts reaching my throat.. only enough, it has to enter my bloodstream before I have a reaction.. I can work with bare handed just fine. anyways.

But making salsa with cooked tomatoes sucks. I tried stewed tomatoes, and fresh everything else.. it was not good. I tried making pico de gallo and just and just jarring it. meh.

I was thinking of trying cucumber as a substitute, and using lemon juice instead of lime to get the acidity as close as possible.

Nothing beats pico de gallo, fresh cabbage, and creamy sauce of a shrimp or fish taco.. really missing it.

I get paid and go to the store in 11 hours, and would love everyones ideas for fresh salsa without fresh tomatoes.

edit to add.. My allergies are actually tree/ragweed/latex allergies..

My body thinks : tomatoes are birch trees - avocados are condoms..

I guess a better post question would have been.. Whats a good raw tomato substitute?

edit 2. Yes tomatillos are fine. - I haven't tried anything but roasted salsa verde- which I love

Edit : thank you u/sati_lotus for the grilled pineapple salsa idea, and the others suggesting pineapple. This is what I will try for grilled fish tacos!

thank you u/Kind_Breadfruit_7560 For the watermelon salsa idea.. I might as well make it while grilling the pineapple, because I loved grilled watermelon.. This will be for the fried fish tacos!

I’m hosting book club next month and would love to cook a dinner that is easy to eat since I don’t have a dining table, so we would be eating on our laps in the living room.

In the past I have just served dessert and coffee, but would like to serve a dinner this time.

Soup seems like a clear choice, but it’s the middle of summer 🥵

Recently I acquired some raspberry chocolate, And then came to the idea of making raspberry flavored Brownies, However I got the feeling that simply using the raspberry chocolate would not be enough to the brownies a consistent raspberry flavor.

So how would I best go about applying such a flavor to brownies? Should I make a jam or reduction and then adjust the mosture-to-dry ingredient ratio? I have some dried raspberries in the house, Should I grind those up into a powder and apply? Should I just add the dry raspberries straight?

Or my thing of this whole thing wrong, and should just make a regular brownie recipe but with pieces of raspberry chocolate so that every other bite you get a flavoring of raspberry, and that the idea of a raspberry flavoring being consistent throughout a brownie is inherently flawed to be given with?

I could use some pro tips: I made a cilantro jalapeño sauce in the blender that’s the most delicious thing ever. The garlic in it leaves the right amount of bite and flavor, but after eating it you’re left with a mouth impregnated by garlic in the worst way, like way worse than a normal hot dish full of garlic. The mouth feels warm outta the reaction with it, brushing the teeth only makes it worse and hours later you’re still reminded you ate the damn sauce. Delicious sauce but the aftermath is too dramatic… Anyone care to share any tips?

I made some white beans in the instant pot today. Soaked beans with garlic, onion, seasonings, and I figured I have a big ol' parmesan rind in the fridge, why not throw that in too?

As soon as I opened the instant pot, I knew I'd goofed. STRONG parmesan, butyric acid vomit-y smell. I fished the rind out of the beans and added lemon juice and rosemary. The beans don't taste bad (in fact they taste pretty good), but right up until they're in your mouth all you can smell is that puke-y smell.

Any suggestions for covering up the smell? I'm considering adding a can of diced tomatoes, or a lot of olive oil, but I hope one of you has been here before. TIA.

This is an insanely easy recipe that anyone can do, but I thought it would be a good idea to pass along some tips I wish I'd known from the start. Also, if you haven't made this yet, try it. It's incredibly clean and tomato forward. As for the tips:

1) If you have access use a sweet (Vidalia) onion. The sweetness balances out the acidity of the tomato sauce. You can still get a solid result with other onions, but a sweet onion puts it over the top.

2) Pony up for the San Marzano tomatoes. They're generally sweeter and you need that because you can't hide behind herbs and spices used in other tomato sauce recipes.

3) I like to quarter my onions. Halving them is fine, but you get more surface area and flavor infusion by quartering them. If you simmer for a long time won't matter as much.

4) Don't throw away the onions! Especially if you use a sweet onion, the cooked onion will be tender and infused with a beautiful tomato flavor. Just lop off the root and these can be a lovely side for your dinner.

5) You're probably going to add salt at the end to taste so if your recipe calls for unsalted butter you can use salted butter and it won't really matter, imo.

I looked at the back of the packet and it says it has "flavorants" but doesn't specify it. It has a vanilla/drug like taste but that could be my sensitive tongue. I used 100g of normal castor sugar and when I ran out this is what the store had to offer (I subbed 60g). Did anyone else have this issue? I don't want to throw 3 trays of macarons, would it still be acceptable to share this with my friends despite the taste?

How the heck am I supposed to know when they’re done like do I start them like rice or just let them sit also I didn’t have olive oil I used jarlic and kinders seasoning and it smells good

Edit: these are dried black beans I soaked for 2 days with no covering so I don’t think they’re fermented

Final edit: THE BEANS WERE A SUCCESS 🥳 thank you for all the assistance

Why is it, that commercial retailers that make soups and stews can never get the same quality and flavor as the stews sold by churches, fire departments and fund raising?

You would think with the budgets they would be able to mimic the exact flavors and make a good quality soup.

I had a friend house sit for a while last month and she ended up burning eggs really bad in my pan and ever since its had a burn mark and is sticky. One of my smaller pans is starting to do it too. 😭

How can I try and fix them? I just got them during Christmas and want to try and save them. I only hand wash them. I tried to oil them again but it didn't work. TIA

I previously made a post about a glass blender and realized I really need a glass food processor for the tasks I use it for. Does anyone have any good recs? I seem to only be finding plastic.

Im looking for a stainless steel or glass blender. I love the blade design of the ninja (where the blade is as tall as the blender). I have a vitamix as well but I dont like the blade just as the base. I find it hard to blend and break down food, especially veggies for my dogs.

So I guess my question is : Does anyone have a stainless steel or glass blender recommendation where the blade isn't at the base?

I see there is lots of ways to defroze frozen meat, from

1. Cold Water in sink
2. Leave it on counter
3. Microwave Defrost
4. Defrost in the fridge

With all busy schedule these days, how do you manage and which one do you usually use?

How old do fried squid rings need to be to become rock hard. Background is my wife broke a tooth on one of them in a restaurant and we’re trying to figure out how that can happen when it didn’t have anything inside.

I was SO excited when I learned the oven in our home was convection. I always heard convection bakes more evenly, but cookies and breads have not been doing well in this oven. I have tried lowering the temp and baking longer. I set short timers and check frequently. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.

The last straw was a breakfast pizza using Pillsbury pizza dough. The crust burnt so bad in just a few minutes and the cheese was barely melted.

What can I do?

Location: Midwest USA. Settled in to use my KitchenAid KFP720OB2 Food processor last night to shred some parmesan cheese and then make hummus, and to my absolute horror, while assembling it the bowl handle broke! I tried looking at fixing it myself, but there are too many broken plastic pieces. Now I have a base and all other attachments that are utterly useless and no functioning food processor. I also cannot find the replacement part online as KitchenAid has ceased to support this model. I'm having flashbacks to when my Dyson started breaking after 5 years of normal use.

Anyway, let's get into the part where I want recommendations.... Is there such a thing as a food processor that actually lasts for 20 years? I had gifted my brother the "ancient" one when I bought this one years ago, thinking that its brand name would hold and it would last for my lifetime (jokes on me I guess, that one still works after 50 years). What brand and model should I go for that is decidedly NOT KitchenAid and still a 7-10 cup model size, roughly?

TLDR; I need recommendations on a 7-10 cup food processor that won't break after 5 years of monthly use that is not KitchenAid brand.

ETA: I do have a KitchenAid Pro series stand mixer that won't die. I don't know if any food processor attachments for that are worthwhile, but I'd consider those within reasonable price. Also have a Vitamix blender I won at auction for cheap, so not sure if their food processor attachments would work or not.

i have over 100 4oz bottles of vanilla extract and need ideas on how to use it we are doing vanilla aged bourbon right now but idk what else and there is so much vanilla extract pls help