The Surprising Ingredient Eva Longoria Adds to Her Guacamole

Eva Longoria is a woman of many talents. We know her best from the hit television show Desperate Housewives, where she enamored audiences as Gabrielle Solis for eight incredible seasons, but Longoria's love for entertainment extends behind the camera too. She owns her own production company, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, and served as a producer on the first John Wick movie and several episodes of Jane the Virgin and Black-ish.

But when she’s not entertaining the masses, Longoria has made it clear she would like to be spending her time in the kitchen. In 2011, Longoria released her first cookbook, which included 100 of her favorite dishes, many of which were treasured family recipes. One recipe that stood out to us immediately was her guacamole, which calls for one really surprising ingredient: lemon juice.

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Why You Should Add Lemon Juice to Guacamole

To some, this revelation may not be all that new of an idea, and you may have even tried it when you were out of limes. To put it scientifically, citric and ascorbic acids (which are found in lemon juice) will help lower the pH levels of avocados, preventing them from turning brown so quickly. Lemon juice is also the key to the tastiest guacamole that's perfect for Cinco de Mayo, taco Tuesday, and so much more. Using lemon juice instead of lime juice in your guacamole will add a bright and citrusy flavor, plus a hint of sweetness to the already delicious avocado dip.

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How to Make Guacamole Like Eva Longoria

Use your favorite guacamole recipe, or follow Eva's recipe. Eva’s guac calls for 3 ripe avocados, 2 ripe tomatoes, 1 large white onion, 1/4 bunch of cilantro, 1/2 of a serrano pepper (deveined with seeds and stem removed), 2 lemons and kosher salt. Chop the vegetables and place them all in a mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice and mix gently. (Longoria prefers her guac chunky, but if you like a smoother guac, you can mash up your avocados.) Season to taste with salt, then give the dip another stir. Crack open a bag of your favorite tortilla chips and dig in.

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