Picking avocadoes

amandstu

Any tips to avoid duds? Some will just not ripen properly.....how to spot them?

Obviously we can all avoid the overripe and obviously bad ones but if you try and pick one with a couple of days ripening it ,how to know that it will ripen nicely and not just turn into something hard and tasteless?

Second unrelated question where do people get their coffee beans and what to look out for (if anything apart from the taste)?

I got some very cheap beans in Aldi but they weren't that good (€2 all the same mind you)

Supervalu was €3 and better.


Mccambridges ,Galway was v expensive and I didn't buy them and there is a small range in Fairtrade that is around €5 or €6 that might be good...

Online I didn't find anything cheap.

Gloomtastic!

The loose avocados in Aldi are very hit and miss. I bought two during the week, one was perfect, the other rotten. I usually press the ends and if there’s a bit of give it’s ripe.

No idea about coffee beans. There is a dedicated Tea & Coffee forum here where they should be able to help you.

https://touch.boards.ie/forum/929

Space Dog

I tend to buy only Hass avocados these days, they have dark and pebbly skins. I've had less duds with Hass than with other varieties and they usually have a nuttier and fuller flavour. I avoid the ones with green, smooth skin as they sometimes don't ripen properly IMO. I also often find them quite bland. Not very helpful I guess, but just my 2 cents...

leahyl

I usually buy the hass avocados too but having said that, bought two in a pack last weekend from Aldi and they ripened really fast and when I went to use one during the week it was mush - had to throw the two of them out.

Gloomtastic!

Did I read something here a while ago about frozen avocados? What are they like?

caviardreams

amandstu wrote: »

Second unrelated question where do people get their coffee beans and what to look out for (if anything apart from the taste)?

I got some very cheap beans in Aldi but they weren't that good (€2 all the same mind you)

Supervalu was €3 and better.


Mccambridges ,Galway was v expensive and I didn't buy them and there is a small range in Fairtrade that is around €5 or €6 that might be good...

Online I didn't find anything cheap.

Second the recommendation to check out the coffee & tea forum, but I will say coffee is one of those things that you usually get what you pay for. With more expensive beans €6-7+ euro per 250g you are paying for the fact they are freshly roasted a few days previously and a higher quality - these simply can't be compared with a bag sitting in a warehouse for months and mass produced imo.

You can find cheap coffee in any supermarket, but if you are looking for good coffee, you will probably need to pay more.

Dizzyblonde

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Did I read something here a while ago about frozen avocados? What are they like?

I buy them in Tesco, they're great and they're always perfectly ripe. I don't use a lot of avocados so it's really handy having them in the freezer when I want one.

Shenshen

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

I buy them in Tesco, they're great and they're always perfectly ripe. I don't use a lot of avocados so it's really handy having them in the freezer when I want one.

How is the consistency when you de-frost them? Could you still use them in a salad?
I've got the same problem, I like an avocado now and then, in a salad or as guacamole, or with pasta, but I find that most avocados seem to have a 30-minute-window between being underripe and being overripe.

Diziet

amandstu wrote: »

Any tips to avoid duds? Some will just not ripen properly.....how to spot them?

Obviously we can all avoid the overripe and obviously bad ones but if you try and pick one with a couple of days ripening it ,how to know that it will ripen nicely and not just turn into something hard and tasteless?

Second unrelated question where do people get their coffee beans and what to look out for (if anything apart from the taste)?

I got some very cheap beans in Aldi but they weren't that good (€2 all the same mind you)

Supervalu was €3 and better.


Mccambridges ,Galway was v expensive and I didn't buy them and there is a small range in Fairtrade that is around €5 or €6 that might be good...

Online I didn't find anything cheap.

Which Aldi beans did you get? The #3 beans are pretty good - I am drinking a cup f coffee made with these right now, and they are better than some much pricier stuff. Still at the cheap end, Lidl do Espresso Arabica coffee beans in a big bag and they are ok.

For a big step up in quality, do try the coffee forum for online suppliers.

amandstu

Diziet wrote: »

Which Aldi beans did you get? The #3 beans are pretty good - I am drinking a cup f coffee made with these right now, and they are better than some much pricier stuff. Still at the cheap end, Lidl do Espresso Arabica coffee beans in a big bag and they are ok.

For a big step up in quality, do try the coffee forum for online suppliers.

Yes #3 but I was disappointed as this is my first time of buying whole beans and didn't think they were as good as some ground coffee around the 5/6€ mark .

I should have bitten the bullet and bought some expensive beans when I was in town if only to see what I am missing...

Dizzyblonde

Shenshen wrote: »

How is the consistency when you de-frost them? Could you still use them in a salad?
I've got the same problem, I like an avocado now and then, in a salad or as guacamole, or with pasta, but I find that most avocados seem to have a 30-minute-window between being underripe and being overripe.

I usually just mash them anyway so I'm not sure if they're too soft to slice. They taste the same to me as fresh ones.