To borrow a different phrase, guacamole is like opinions: everybody’s got one. And variations are awesome. But first you have to start with the perfect base, and sometimes the perfect base is also the perfect finished dish. But what makes the perfect base for guacamole? It starts with selection and technique.<\/p>\n
Selecting the right avocados is key; you can adjust all the other ingredients to taste, but if you don’t pick your avocados well, there’s nothing you can do to salvage the dish. Check out our article on selecting avocados.<\/a><\/p>\n Technique is also important. Guac should be soft yet chunky, not the runny stuff you find in a supermarket. If your avocados are just right, you can mash them gently with a fork. To make quick work of a large quantity of avos, if you have a pastry cutter on hand, that’s a great tool.<\/p>\n The other thing is ratios: avocados, onions, and tomatoes all vary widely in size. Generally I think 6 large avos, two medium hothouse-style tomatoes, and one medium onion is a good ratio. Start adding onion and tomatoes a little at a time until you have the mix you like. Add your own tastes like jalape\u00f1os and cilantro to taste, but be mindful of other guests’ tolerance for great and keep in mind that for some people cilantro tastes like soap.<\/p>\n Finally, one last trick: save the avo pits and put a few of them in the guac to help keep it fresh until serving.<\/p>\n