Would you like ice with that? Restaurant owners reveal why they sell FROZEN instead of fresh smashed avocado to customers – but not everyone is on board
- Freezing avocados has been revealed as a way some cafes keep supplies handy
- The frozen product is one that’s convenient for use in ‘smashed avo’ dishes
- There’s no compromise on the quality of the fruit and nothing extra is added
- A chef has said avocados weren’t ideal for freezing due to water and fat content
An Australian chef and a cafe owner have spoken about whether or not they’d serve avocados which have been frozen to their customers.
It’s only recently come to light that it’s possible to freeze the fruit without fear of it turning brown, a practice regularly followed by smaller eateries.
Freezing the fruit means cafe owners have supplies year-round for the ever popular menu dish ‘smashed avo’ – regardless of seasonal price hikes.
‘The main reasoning behind buying frozen packet avo for a restaurant is seasonability,’ a restaurateur told News.com.au.
Smashed avo on toast is a cafe menu favourite, however, this doesn’t mean its always made with fresh avocado (stock image)
‘You get a fixed price all year round when fresh avocado prices can skyrocket if supply is short.’
He told the publication while some varieties of frozen avocado tasted processed, the product he served customers was ‘still quite chunky and (has) a real avo taste’.
In contrast to the cafe owner, a fine-dining chef has revealed there’s no place in his kitchen for the frozen fruit.
While avocado can be frozen, there are some concerns the fruit can go ‘funny’ once thawed
He explained avocados had a high fat and water content which meant it wasn’t ideal for freezing and once thawed their consistency could be ‘funny’.
The chef added this could be managed somewhat by adding lemon while the fruit was defrosting to stop it ‘dropping water’.
Unlike a cafe where smashed avo is a regular fixture, restaurants have more flexibility, and if the fruit becomes too expensive, it’s simply not ordered.
‘Chefs are the last hand of the product line and avos are just something you over order, they’re too pricey,’ he said.
An Australian woman has shared a nifty trick that keeps your avocados ripe until you’re ready to eat them
Earlier this week, home cooks were delighted after a savvy mum revealed it was possible to freeze sliced avocados fresh out of their skin.
The woman, who is the founder of popular Facebook page ‘Slow Cooker Recipes & Tips’ recently shared photos of her perfectly ripe avocado slices on a sheet of baking paper and revealed how the method helps her organise meals.
‘This is a little trick I’ve been doing with avocado,’ she said.
‘I heard that you can buy it frozen, but was never able to find it anywhere. So I thought, ‘why not freeze it myself? It works amazingly well.’
When freezing avocados, the trick is to peel the fruit, removed the pit and make sure you slice if first (stock image)
While many believe that unpeeled avocados will continue to brown in the freezer this is not the case, as long as you follow her instructions.
‘I buy a fresh avocado, cut it in half, take the pit out and slice it. You can cut it into chunks too,’ she said.
‘I lay it out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze.’
After a day of freezing she removes the individual slices, places them into one freezer bag so she can use them one slice at a time.
By freezing them first, it prevents the slices from sticking together in the bags.