Guacamole is made from avocadoes.
Guacamole is a popular party dip. However, if you prepare it too far in advance, it can turn black before you go to the party, making it look less than appetizing.
Chemistry
Enzymes are released from avocado cells once they are disturbed by cutting or mashing.
Guacamole left to itself is a bit of a chemistry experiment. When potatoes and apples are exposed to the air, they oxidize and discolor. The same thing happens to avocadoes. Enzymes released from the mashed guacamole react with the air around them, leading to black guacamole.
Overripe Avocadoes
A good avocado is soft but firm and green inside.
When avocados are going rotten, they also turn a brownish-black color on the inside. If your avocados are green when you cut them, the black guacamole is due to a chemical reaction with air. If the avocados are brown inside, do not eat them and do not make them into guacamole.
Prevention
Put guacamole dip into a container and remember the lid.
To stop guacamole from turning black, reduce its exposure to air. First, try to make the dip quite soon before the party begins. If that is not possible, make the guacamole and then seal it in a lidded container or under plastic in the fridge.
Tags: before party, black guacamole, Enzymes released, Enzymes released from, released from