Homemade guacamole is pure sunshine on a chip! There is nothing better on a blistering hot day, except maybe guacamole plus an icy cold beer.

Over the years I’ve fine-tuned my recipe for maximum flavor, texture and color. To my mind it’s a perfect balance of avocados, tomatoes, chiles, scallions, cilantro, salt and pepper— all pulled together with fresh lime juice. The secret to success is perfectly ripe avocados. Accept nothing less or you’ll end up with a bowl of flavorless goop.

I find that the rich and creamy Hass avocados, which are available year round, make the best guacamole. Choose ones with black, roughly-textured skins that yield to gentle pressure. Avoid avocados that are rock hard, bruised, or overripe with loose skins.

Cutting avocados for guacamole is easy if you follow these steps:

1. Hold the avocado in your hand stem-side-up. Insert a sharp knife in to the top and cut downward to the pit.

2. Move the knife lengthwise around the avocado using the pit as your guide.

3. Separate the avocado by gently twisting the two halves apart.

4. Hold the half with the pit in your hand and give the pit a good whack with the sharp blade of your knife. (This freaked me out the first time but I got over it with experience.)

5. Twist the knife slightly and lift the pit from the avocado.

6.  Carefully remove the slippery pit from your knife using a paper towel.

7. Scoop out the flesh by running a spoon around the edge of the avocado.

Friends often ask why my guacamole is so much better than theirs when we use the same ingredients. I know the secret is using the freshest, best-quality produce you can find— but I don’t always give it away. Why not let them believe I have magical powers?

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Print a copy of How to Peel, Pit and  Scoop Avocados and my Guacamole recipe for your convenience