HELOISE: Avocado pit helps stop some browning

Dear Heloise: I have found a great tip — leave the pit in whatever dish you make with avocados, and the dish will not brown. Thank you for your great hints.

Jeannie M., via e-mail

Jeannie, this is an old hint that many people do. However, the Heloise update is that the pit does not keep guacamole from turning brown. Oxygen is the villain that causes avocados or guacamole to brown. Leaving the pit in the avocado half will protect only the surface that the seed touches. Better to press plastic wrap over the surface to keep air out.

Here in Texas, guacamole is a staple of Mexican food. The California Avocado Commission (www.avocado.org) has some great information on its website. You might have heard that avocados are high in fat, and they are, but it’s good fat! One-fifth of an avocado (about 1 ounce) has about 50 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. A plate of Tex-Mex food looks lonely without a dollop of guacamole!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: Our family has a favorite recipe that uses Dijon mustard. I was out of that ingredient one day, so I substituted spicy brown mustard. No one could tell the difference! It is also cheaper than Dijon mustard.

Willa Coe, San Clemente, Calif.

Dear Heloise: When I have roast pans or skillets that require scouring to clean them, I put water and a small amount of dishwashing liquid in them, put them on the stove, and let the residue cook off. Then they are easily washed in the dishpan.

Nancy in Wilmington, Del.

Dear Heloise: I read the suggestion to put a plastic bag into food-storage containers. I have a better idea: Get a dry marker to mark the container. The marking can be wiped off when it’s dry. If you wash the container, the marking won’t come off while it’s wet, but a plastic scrubber will take it off.

Claude Bedell, Mission Viejo, Calif.

Dear Heloise: Your advice to blend oatmeal to get quick oatmeal reminded me: I buy two boxes of oatmeal at a time. The first box we add to the instant packets to “unsweeten” them. The second box I food-process to use in place of some of the flour in most of my recipes. Muffins are particularly improved by the added texture/fiber.

Another thing I do to get more whole grain in our food: I buy both white and whole-grain flour. Then I mix about 1 part whole grain flour to an equal amount of white flour.

B.J. Raver in Pennsylvania

Dear Heloise: Wonder how long you have had a spice? I take a marker and put the date on the top of the lid the day I open it. I can tell at a glance how old it is.

Alice in Texas

King Features Syndicate