On Tue, 5 Aug 1997, Christian Schlepphorst wrote:

Walter Semerenko writes:
>  > I just bought an avocado today, and I'm not sure if it is ripe.  Right now
>  > it feels hard.  How do tell?  Also, I'm looking for suggestions on how to
>  > eat it. :)

>  > Walter.

> When it is hard, it is definitely unripe. How soft it has to be
> depends the variety and your taste. Pear-shaped, thin-skinned
> varieties like Fuerte may become *very* soft (like warm butter) and
> are still delicious. I find very ripe ones more
> satisfying. Thick-skinned avocados like Hass or Reed feel a lot harder
> when ripe. Hass gets violet when ripe. If they are black with whitish
> or grey shimmer and there are "air bubbles" under the skin, it is
> probably over the edge :-(.

> I just cut them into halves and eat with a spoon.
> Most "cooked" folk add salt, pepper and vinegar "because avocados have
> no taste at all" ;-). Sometimes I sprinkle a bit of spirulina over
> it. Try it!
> You can also mash avocados and use it as a salad or vegetable
> dressing.

> Good luck on your avocado journey! There are lots of different
> varieties to try.

> Best

> Christian

On the subject of avacados and, possibly, what not to do with them.  Here
is an experience I had yesterday (I should have known better, I know).
Around 4-5pm, I ate one ripe avacado, followed by a medium banana and
medium apple (one after the other). I ended up feeling rather sick
(possibly overeating was the cause here); did not have anything else to
eat since that meal (felt very full and unpleasant). Went to sleep around
9pm, and just woke up now, still feeling a little weird.

I don't know if I'll ever get this "full/still hungry" feeling under
control.   I mean, do you eat the darn avacado (or anything else for that
matter) and wait until your stomach just feels completely empty (that I
*can* tell; actually, "hear" is the right word - there is lotsa rumbling
going on then, that's when it's really empty!) and then eat somehting
else or should you not wait this long?  Has anyone here figured out what
it means to eat when you're hungry?