Kitchen Logic

For best flavor in an Athena melon, choose one with beige netting, golden undertone, sweet aroma, and a slight give at the blossom end.

For an Ataulfo mango, trim cheeks around the flat pit, score the flesh, then scoop or invert the peel for neat cubes.

To ripen avocados quickly, bag them with a banana at room temp for 1–3 days and test daily for a gentle squeeze.

Ripe avocado fruit feels yielding, smells mild and nutty, and the stem cap releases cleanly without brown flesh.

If an avocado feels hard, trap ethylene in a paper bag with a banana for 1–3 days, or pivot to recipes that work with firmer fruit.

To ripen avocados quickly, trap ethylene in a paper bag with a ripe banana and keep the fruit at room temperature, checking firmness daily.

To peel an avocado, wash it, slice lengthwise, twist, pit safely, score, then lift the skin off or scoop with a spoon.

To cut an avocado safely: slice lengthwise, twist, remove the pit, peel, then slice or dice the flesh for your recipe.

One medium avocado (about 150 g edible) provides ~3 g protein; per 100 g of avocado, the protein content is ~2 g.

Avocado toast takes 10 minutes: toast sturdy bread, mash ripe avocado with salt and lemon, then add protein or crunch to finish.