Ray's Take

I love guac.

I make the best guac.

My guac is the simplest guac.

Everyone loves my guac and asks me how its so good.

Really there are only 2 tricks:
- Pick the right avocado
- Season correctly

Choosing the right avocado

This is by far the most important step.

The avocado should be barely soft when you press it lightly. Not hard, not mushy. If you have to err on one side or the other, always too hard. Never buy a avocado that is too soft.

So the trick / reality for avocados is that it is hard to just go to the store and buy a perfectly ripe avocado. You can do this if you are in a bind, but its much better to buy a bunch of hard avocados and let them ripen at home.
When they are just barely soft to the touch, put them all in the fridge. They'll continue to ripen very slowly, and will be good there for a week or so. Use this trick and always have access to good avocadoes.

This avocado looks good. It's perfectly green (no brown spots):

Season correctly

To make your guac*:
- slice it in half
- twist to get two halves
- scoop out flesh with spoon into bowl
- add a squirt of fresh lemon or lime (i go with lime if i have a choice, but both work).
- sprinkle salt
- sprinkle garlic power (optional but i add it)
- mash with a spoon or fork.

Thats it. No need for anything else.

This photo doesn't do this guac justice

This is a perfect opportunity to learn how to cook w/o a recipe.

Making guac is a great way to learn how to cook.

How much lime/lemon should I add?
You can add more than you think you need. -> acid makes food taste good. This is probably why people like my guac - i add more acid than them (1/4-1/2 lime depending on size). If you add too much do less next time or add more avocado. I'd suggest adding until you add "too much" for practice.

How much salt/garlic powder?
Taste it - add until you like the taste. Adding and tasting is key to cooking.

Can I add other ingredients?
Yes. My rule of cooking is don't add anything that doesn't 100% for sure make it better. I only qualify lime, salt, garlic powder. If you like onion, tomato jalapeno, chili flake, etc. go for it. You should test it and if you like it keep using it!

FAQs

Where do you buy avocados?
Costco is the best imo. Then trader joe's and whole foods are tied. Other grocery stores seem to be worse. This is just my perception from buying 1000s of avocados in California. I could be wrong for your area.
* A good vendor at farmer's market is best best. The conditions for growing avocados definitely matter for non-browning inside.

What do you eat it with?
Everything - veggies, protein, as a salad "dressing."

How much do you eat per meal?
Avocados are super healthy, but they do have a lot of calories. I usually do 1/2 an avocado per meal. You can eat too much if you want to lose weight / get ripped. Thus guacamole falls into the Rule 3: Eat delicious higher calorie foods, but don't overeat category

What kind of avocado do you eat?
Usually Haas. I've had really good other varietals but usually only at farmers markets. Feel free to try other kinds!

How do I know if the avocado is perfectly ripe?
Barely soft to touch, you cut through it and its easy to cut, and perfectly green.
-> Huge dopamine hit every time I see this.

How do I know if the avocado is too hard?
You'll know bc you can't mash it or can't cut through it easily. If this is the case, stop cutting and let it ripen.

How do I know if the avocado is too soft?
You'll cut it in half and see its brown inside. I aggressively throw out the brown parts.

Does the skin of the avocado matter?
People say the skin doesn't matter, but I personally think it does. I choose smooth skin over the ones with many ridges and bumps. Not sure if this is in my head or real, but I go with it bc my personal experience tells me that smooth skin has a higher likelihood of perfect green flesh and no brown spots.