Does an avocado seed help guacamole stay green?
My friend was telling me about a habit in the Spanish culture (I'm not sure if it's done elsewhere as well) of leaving the avocado seed inside when making guacamole. The claim is that if you leave the seed inside the guacamole, something in the seed prevents the guacamole from browning.
I'm a little skeptical - I thought that the browning was due to oxidization. If that's the case, then I don't see how a seed could help in preventing oxidization. Am I missing something? Is this true, or just a myth?
Best Answer
You're correct - it's a myth, as is adding something acidic to it like lemon juice--see explanation here. As you said, what causes it to brown is the oxidation, and that's just exposure to the air. If you wrap a cut avocado (or guacamole) in plastic wrap so there's no air space between the wrap and the avocado, then it will stay green longer than areas where air is getting to it.
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Quick Answer about "Does an avocado seed help guacamole stay green?"
Placing an avocado seed in the guacamole is said to prevent discoloration yet this is not entirely true. The only place where it will prevent browning is directly underneath the seed, as the seed works to eliminate contact between the guacamole and oxygen from the air.Does avocado pit preserve guacamole?
Will putting an avocado pit in my guacamole help keep it from browning? Unfortunately, no. All this will do is shield parts of the guacamole from a natural process called oxidation.How do you keep guacamole dip Green?
Top with lime juice and plastic wrap Drizzle a shallow but visible layer of lime juice onto the guacamole surface (first making it as smooth as possible) and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface. The next day, either pour it off or stir it in for an especially tart guac.How do restaurants keep guacamole from turning brown?
Pour a thin but visible layer of water or lemon/lime juice over the guacamole to form a barrier with the air. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, pushing the wrap, so it is flush with the guacamole to prevent air pockets, or put the guacamole in a sealed tub.Should you leave avocado seed?
While the seed doesn't actually slow the browning of the entire half of the avocado it's left in, it helps the area beneath it stay fresh. Since that part has no oxygen interaction (it's sealed behind the seed), it'll take a more time to go bad, explains Mahoney.How To Stop Your Guacamole From Turning Brown | You Can Cook That | Allrecipes.com
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Answer 2
This is not an old wives tale. Everyone knows that oxygen turns the guacamole brown. I have read everywhere that some chef did an experiment with a light bulb and the guacamole did not turn brown around the light bulb thus he concluded that it worked the same way as the pit..Wrong! If people would actually tried the pit trick instead of reading some crackpot ideas they would see that the a couple pits in the bottom keep it from turning brown. Oxalic acid is in the pits and absorbs the oxygen which turns the guacamole brown.
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