Ahhh-vocados – they’re not just for guacamole.

Although the yummy dip is probably one of their most popular uses, there are other reasons to love avocados.

You can use them to make dipping sauces for chicken and beef.

You can mash, season and spread them on bread for sandwiches.

You can slice them for salads and sandwiches, purée them for smoothies and use them in cooked dishes.

A personal favorite is avocado slices drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with fine sea salt and chopped cilantro.

Although one medium avocado contains a lot of fat (30 grams), it’s mostly the monounsaturated kind thought to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and boost good (HDL) cholesterol.

Botanically, avocados are a fruit, but you’ll usually find them stacked near the vegetables in stores.

Refrigerate only ripe avocados; unripe avocados will not ripen in the cold. Store ripe avocados for up to five days – longer, and the flesh can turn to flavorless mush and darken.

Freeze puréed avocado for about four months to use in dips, sauces and spreads. Purée ripe avocados in a blender using 1 Tbsp. of lime or lemon juice for each avocado. Place in an airtight container, leaving 1-2 cm. head space. Cover and freeze.

To use right away, choose ripe avocados with smooth dark green skin or pebbly skin that is almost purplish-black. Press gently on the widest part; your finger should leave a slight indentation. Don’t buy if fruit has uneven soft spots.

If not using right away, choose hard fruits with bright-green skins. Leave them on the counter to ripen in three to four days. To speed up ripening, place them in a paper bag with an apple or a banana.

To slice, place on the counter and steady with the palm of your hand. Slice around the circumference and twist to separate. One half will have the pit. Carefully stab the pit with a sharp knife so it sticks, and work out the pit.

To mash, spoon out the flesh. To dice or slice, cut the flesh while still in the skin and use a spoon to release the slices or dice. For even slices, cut the flesh through the skin and then remove the skin.

Once it’s cut, sprinkle the flesh with lemon or lime juice and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the avocado. This helps prevent darkening.

Green Eats: Guacamole and beyond

The versatile avocado can be used in a wide variety of dishes.