Avocado

Avocado

The oldest evidence indicates that avocado was in use around 10,000 BC  in a cave  in Coxcatlán, Puebla, Mexico.

Avocado provides nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fibre, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. It also acts as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

Avocado ripe

Avocado is considered as a super food and it provides mono-saturated and polyunsaturated fat, and is low in cholesterol, trans-fats and sodium while being rich in potassium.

Avocados will lower bad cholesterol and improve the lipid profile. They are also reputed to reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease and prevent cancer. Avocado or avocado oil is found in many commercial skin care products. While improving the skin tone and minimizing wrinkles, it also maintains a healthy moisture level in the epidermal layer of the skin. This is the cause for the glow and softness of the skin when using avocado based skin care products. The anti-inflammatory property of avocado helps in relieving the pain of those suffering from acute arthritis.

Some people avoid avocados due to the relatively high fat and calorie content of these fruits. Some people call it butter fruit because it takes the consistency of butter when mashed. It can be used as bread spread with or without seasoning.  It can also be substituted for butter in some recipes. Guacamole is the most famous recipe for this delicious fruit.

A medium sized avocado contains 26 grams of fat and gives out 276 calories. It is good to get at least 30% of the daily requirement of calories from fats and the balance from carbohydrates.

A medium sized avocado contains about 6.8 grams of soluble and insoluble fibre both of which are required to keep the digestive system running smoothly. Oleic acid in the avocado makes you feel full and this helps if a person is dieting and it also reduces LDL while increasing HDL.

If you are pregnant the folate, a vitamin found in avocado, will protect your baby cutting the risk of birth defects.

It can be eaten as it is or cut into small pieces and add to salads or sandwich with meat or fish.

Buying and storing avocados

Avocados can be stored at room temperature. If you refrigerate the ripening process will be delayed. 

Unripe avocado will take 4 to 5 days to fully ripen. Unripe avocado will be greenish in colour and as it ripens it will become more and more purplish dark brown in colour. A fully ripe avocado may look even purplish black. 

Good avocado

Applying light pressure in your palm will tell whether the fruit is ripe or not. Ripe ones will be softer. It is all right to buy ripe or unripe fruit. If you need to consume urgently you need to buy fully ripe fruits otherwise unripe fruits.

Avoid avocados that are overly soft and mushy. The fruit most probably is over ripe and will be spoilt soon if you don't consume it immediately. Avoid avocados with dents, bruises, brown spots and dark blemishes. Here is the picture of a spoilt avocado. When I bought it in the supermarket it was firm and nice but when I brought it home and cut it, I found that it was spoilt.

Spoilt avocado

When you peel or slice avocado it will soon discolour. This is due to oxidation of the 

exposed inner flesh. If you apply and acidic agent such as lime, lemon, orange or tomato juice or vinegar as soon as you expose the inner surface, the discolouration will not occur. Some time putting in the salt water or plain cool water will also help.

Cutting and Peeling of Avocado

Cut the avocado around the seed horizontally and pull out one part it will come out easily.

Avocado split into four quarters

To remove the skin use a knife to lift the flesh out of the skin or just pull the skin with your fingers. It will come out easily.

Peeling the skin

You need to sprinkle some lemon juice to prevent the cut avocado from discolouring.

Squeeze the lemon on the avocado pieces to avoid discolouration

Avocado Bread Spread

To make a simple bread spread,  peel the skin, squeeze lime juice, mash the avocado and add some pepper and salt. easy and nutritious bread spread is ready.

Mash the avocado and add pepper and salt

Mashed avocado

Spread on a slice of bread