Don’t let brown avocados spoil your favorite game day dip! Here is a cheap trick to keep avocados from turning brown:
Leave the avocado pit in the dip! It seems totally bizarre, but it works!
Cut open the avocado, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh. Mix up your guacamole or whatever dip you’re making with your avocado. Then toss the avocado pit back into the dip. The avocado pit tricks the avocado into thinking it hasn’t been cut open, so it doesn’t turn brown! Be prepared – you’ll spend a lot of time explaining to guests what that big pit is doing in your dip, but I’ve found it’s worth it to keep your favorite dip from turning brown.
You can also give your avocados a light spritz of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Just be sure not to add too much as that can change the taste and texture of whatever you’re making.
Got a cheap trick of your own? Send us an e-mail with your tip and we may use it in a future Cheap Trick post!
Adrienne A. says
January 31, 2013 at 2:40 pmUmmm… I’m pretty sure that avocados turn brown due to a chemical reaction that occurs when it’s exposed to air… In any event, avocados can’t “think”. Good effort!
Christina @ Northern Cheapskate says
January 31, 2013 at 2:44 pmThey may not be able to think… but I do know that this slows down the browning… and it’s free, so why not?
miss donna says
January 31, 2013 at 6:35 pmnow this is a new one…have never heard of it prior to now. i add fresh lemon juice because i like the flavor it gives the guacamole. i’m going to share this with my dip-making friends!
Michaela says
February 1, 2013 at 12:04 pmWeird! =) I’m definitely going to try this. I was wondering, have you ever stored it in the fridge overnight with this method? What were the results?
Christina Brown says
February 1, 2013 at 1:16 pmI haven’t done it overnight, but I have done it for several hours. It is a fruit, so eventually it will turn brown, but this trick definitely seems to slow things down.
Linda says
May 28, 2015 at 8:23 amMy Mexican friend gave me this tip a few years ago…it does help keep the avocado looking fresher for a longer period of time! I always leave the pit in my guacamole now.