How We Make Guacamole for a Large Party

August 30, 2012 by Mimi Holtz | 9 Comments

I’ll never forget the first time I met The Farmer. He came to a potluck party in a church social hall carrying a very large Tupperware bowl that was filled to the brim with guacamole. I had never seen so much guacamole in my life. He had the attention of all the girls in the room, believe me!

Fast forward 31 years later…Making huge quantities of guacamole is now a family specialty. Living on an avocado farm has its perks, and an unlimited supply of avocados is one of them!

If you missed The Secret For Perfectly Ripened Avocados , click here right now and catch up. The best tasting guacamole begins with the best California avocados… grown on healthy trees with excellent care from the farmer, picked and ripened to perfection. I’ve given you the inside scoop on what it takes to manage a large quantity of avocados so they will all be ready to eat on the same day, so don’t miss my previous post.

Ripe avocados, fresh salsa, fresh cilantro and seasoning is all you need for delicious guacamole

By the way, you can use the same strategy for the avocados that you eat every day! I know that many of you buy California avocados when they’re on sale, or receive your avocados through the mail via subscription from growers like California Avocados Direct (our family farm). Keep some of them in a cool basement (45-55 degrees), bring some into the kitchen and monitor them daily. If you have several ripened at one time, hold them in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Perfectly ripe California Hass avocados are still firm, but yield to gentle pressure when held in your hand and pressed with your thumb

Notice that these perfect avocados are not dimpled, not too black, not mushy. Cut them in half, twist to separate the two halves, and remove the pit.

(There is some controversy about whacking the pit with a knife, as some folks have injured themselves doing it. I think whacking is the best and fastest way to remove the pit…but you don’t need to use a giant sharp butcher knife to do it…just use a table knife! I have even used a plastic picnic knife! Whack the pit with just enough force to barely lodge the knife into the pit…you don’t have to karate chop that pit!)

Turn the knife gently in one direction and the pit will move…then the pit will come off easily. Cut the avocado into quarters and peel the skin away from the beautiful flesh of that perfect avocado.

Collect all your peeled avocados in a bowl and then rough chop them by gently dragging a knife through the fruit in different directions.

To rough chop avocados, gently pull your knife through the fruit, criss-crossing the bowl. Try not to touch the bowl with the knife…the fruit will be creamy and easy to cut.

Be careful not to over work the fruit…you want a nice chunky guacamole. Mash the fruit in the middle of the bowl until it is no longer chunky…but not really smooth. Use your knife again to make sure the chunks on the outside of the bowl are not too large.

Use a potato masher to mash the middle of the bowl, leaving chunks around the outside of the bowl that will be folded in later

At this point you have a choice. Do you want to chop onions, tomatoes, chili peppers, and cilantro? If so, have a wonderful time! I prefer to buy fresh salsa already made and save myself the prep and clean-up. For this batch of guacamole, I started with 16 ounces of fresh salsa….but ended up adding two more 16 oz. containers.

Here is the first 16 oz. container of salsa…we use the medium salsa, but you might choose mild or hot, depending on your taste

Gently fold in the salsa and add more until the guacamole looks right to you. Some folks like more salsa and some like less. You can always put salsa on the side for people to add later on.

Now here is a VERY important detail. Fresh cilantro. I know a few of you don’t enjoy fresh cilantro, but adding it to guacamole makes all the difference! If you want your guac to taste authentic, be sure to chop up a large bunch of cilantro and add it to the bowl.

Add chopped fresh cilantro to the guacamole

Next it’s time to season the guacamole. We love to add garlic powder, black pepper and some “Ben’s Blend” all purpose seasoning. Use what you like…add a little and then taste….the tasting is part of the fun!

Taste the guacamole and then add more seasoning or salsa until it pleases your tastebuds

We usually let several people taste the guacamole before we decide that it’s perfect. Sometimes we put some in a separate bowl and season it for the folks who want more or less spice. Some of our family love black pepper and extra garlic powder, and heavy on the salsa!

Adding more salsa, pepper and garlic powder for The Farmer

It is best to wait until an hour before the party to make the guacamole so it will be really fresh.

Guacamole should not be over mixed…leave some chunks. Garnish with sprigs of fresh cilantro.

Once the guacamole is mixed, cover it with plastic wrap, pressing so that all the air bubbles are eliminated. This will help keep the guacamole from turning brown before the guests arrive.

Plastic wrap helps keep the guacamole from turning brown before the party

When the party is ready to start, serve the guacamole in small bowls or heap it on plates with plenty of tortilla chips nearby. Some of your guests may prefer the pure deliciousness of fresh avocado. If you have plenty of avocados, save some for slicing! Sliced avocados are delicious on salad, sandwiches, burgers…or just by themselves!

So now you know how we make our guacamole for a party. There are plenty of ways to get creative with your guacamole by adding special ingredients or using it as a topping in unusual ways. What is your favorite way to serve guacamole?