When it comes to filling out a crowd-pleasing party spread, guacamole is a staple. It’s delicious, filling, and low-maintenance. But as you stock up on the rest of your party essentials at the grocery store, you might think twice about tossing a pre-packaged guacamole in your cart and instead, grab some ingredients to make it homemade.
If this plot sounds all too familiar, we hear you. There’s something that feels distinctly off about the store-bought stuff. Of course, homemade will always be superior, but why does the store-bought kind taste so strange?
It wasn’t until a team meeting with the food editors here at Allrecipes that we realized exactly what about the flavor is so displeasing: it makes your tongue tingle. And since then, it’s become a new, riveting food curiosity, right up there with ‘Why is deli meat rainbow?’ and ‘What are bacon bits actually made of?'
Let us explain. Sometimes after eating a bite of store-bought guac, a strange feeling lingers on your tongue that almost tickles, like you’re having some kind of reaction. But fear not (unless you have a known allergy to an ingredient in the dip), this sensation is happening to all of us guac snackers.
Why Does Store-Bought Guacamole Tingle Your Tongue?
The most likely answer is an ingredient most people don't put in their homemade recipe, but is in almost all store-bought versions.
Citric acid is a commonly used flavoring and preservative in mass food production. This ingredient is used to prevent enzymatic browning and infuse a tart, bright flavor, playing the same role as a squeeze of fresh lime juice in a guacamole recipe, but to a greater extent.
After exposure to the air, guacamole can develop a dark discoloration. Even though the brown hue doesn’t affect the flavor or safety of the dip, it doesn’t look as inviting. But sometimes the effort to preserve the bright hue results in a funky flavor. So, the same reason why the store-bought guacamole stays bright and beautiful after a few days in the fridge is the same reason it makes your tongue feel funny.
Citric acid lives in the FDA’s list of foods “generally recognized as safe” and is commonly recognized for giving candy its sour properties. Although it occurs naturally in citrus fruits, it can also be extracted on an industrial scale from other foods.
Another common flavoring and preservative is ascorbic acid, and although it is also naturally found in citrus, it's very different from citric acid. Citric acid is more acidic and works better to lower the pH in the food, while ascorbic acid is better at preserving the color of the food. Also, citric acid tastes more sour while ascorbic acid has a saltier flavor.
In a store-bought guacamole, citric acid, ascorbic acid, or even a combination of the two are usually the culprit behind the tongue tickling.
How To Avoid Tongue-Tingling Guacamole
The best-tasting guacamole is the one that’s homemade and luckily, it’s incredibly easy to make. With just a handful of ingredients, you can whip up a fresh and creamy avocado dip that maintains its vibrant green color without any preservatives. You can also give it your own flavor spin with cream cheese, Serrano chilis, or even mango.
If you’re in a pinch and need to grab one in your grocery run, opt for the fresh-made options typically found in the bakery section.
When polyphenol oxidase reacts with the added acid in the guacamole, it can sometimes cause a tingling sensation on the tongue. So, the same reason why the store-bought guacamole stays bright and beautiful after a few days in the fridge is the same reason it makes your tongue feel funny.
While citric and ascorbic acid are both perfectly safe to eat, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, they can contribute to a sour flavor or "tingly" feel to your favorite guac.
Store brands tend to be higher in sodium than homemade versions. But you still want to be careful not to have too heavy of a hand when adding salt at home. Some store brands also contain added sugar, an ingredient most Americans already get too much of—and one that is unnecessary in guacamole.
Our second dish was the Guacamole which to our surprise was actually fizzy - Yes FIZZY Guacamole! I googled this phenomenon, basically it means the lemon juice is fermenting due to being old and left too long.
According to Food Network, if the guacamole has been stored in a refrigerator for no more than three days, the dip — even if brown in color — is absolutely safe to eat.
Meanwhile, when an avocado is cut or mashed, an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase is released in the fruit (the same enzyme that causes browning when the bright green flesh is exposed to air). When polyphenol oxidase reacts with the added acid in the guacamole, it can sometimes cause a tingling sensation on the tongue.
Simple additions can make store-bought guacamole taste better and slightly more homemade. Adding lime juice, more chopped vegetables, or an extra avocado can make a big difference.
Guacamole consists of a few staple flavors: avocado (obviously), onion, tomato, salt and citrus. Other ingredients can be layered in to suit your taste. In the case of Target's Good & Gather Homestyle Guacamole, that's some extra heat thanks to jalapenos and serrano peppers.
Make your guacamole, then place any uneaten dip in a resealable container. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the dip, lightly pressing all over to make sure the plastic is directly in contact with the entire surface of the dip. Store the guacamole in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Avocados are rotten if they're mushy when squeezed, brown or moldy inside, and have developed rancidity or a sour smell. You may be able to salvage part of the fruit if it's just starting to brown inside and the rest of the fruit looks, smells, and tastes fine.
The most common symptoms of food poisoning include diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Signs of severe food poisoning include bloody diarrhea, diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days, fever over 102°F, vomiting so often that you cannot keep liquids down, and signs of dehydration.
Although brown guacamole isn't the most appealing, it's completely safe to eat (as long as you've stored the guacamole in the refrigerator, and it isn't more than three days old). "While a bit off-putting to look at, brown guacamole is totally safe," confirms Food Network's nutritionist, Dana Angelo White, MS RD ATC.
Homemade guacamole is a quick, easy, and healthier choice. Store-bought guacamole often contains sour cream, added sugar, artificial flavors, preservatives, and a lot of sodium. However, there are some brands, such as Wholly Guacamole, that sell individual pre-portioned guacamole dip packs.
Store-bought guacamole that's unopened should last 1-2 weeks. Once opened, store-bought guacamole usually lasts 1-2 days. Homemade guacamole also usually lasts 1-2 days. You'll know it's gone bad when it has a substantial puddle of brown liquid and the layers below the surface have lost their vibrant green hue.
The reason behind it is simple, freshness. Guacamole is something that needs to be fresh, as oxidation works quickly on avocado. As avocado is exposed to oxygen in the air, it dulls in color and a strange off-flavor develops.
It comes down to how ripe the avocado is, how fresh the spices, and how much you process it. A nearly ripe avocado that's smashed with a fork won't produce nearly as creamy of a guacamole as a super ripe avocado that's mashed in a molcajete (mortar and pestle used to make guacamole).
Ripe avocados have a pleasant, slightly sweet aroma and somewhat nutty flavor. As the fruit spoils, it may develop an abnormal taste and odor. If it has a sour taste or smell, it may have bacterial spoilage and should be discarded. A chemical odor and taste may mean it's rancid.
The fake guacamole recipe is nearly identical to your standard taqueria guacamole. Tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño are still the core ingredients, instead, the imposter substitutes the green gold for the tender summer variety of Mexican squash usually sauteed in guisado form.
First, before you begin tinkering with your guacamole, if you will be serving it with chips, use those chips for taste-testing. If you taste your guac and it is bland, start with more salt. Next, add lime juice.
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