Everywhere you read and hear about avocado. We have gone in search of clues and collected all the information about the exotic fruit for you. We also reveal our favorite recipes with avocado.
Admittedly - purely visually the avocado is not so eye-catching. The fruit is protected by a dark green to black skin. The green color inside is much nicer to look at.
Fortunately, it's not the look that counts, but what's inside the avocado.
Table of contents
Where does the avocado come from?
It seems to be the trend of the moment. Avocados are booming like never before. The exotic fruit can even be found on T-shirts and clothes from well-known fashion giants. Instagram made me do it - I could almost say that about myself, because thanks to the Instagram trend, I'm now also back on the avocado trip.
The avocado belongs to the laurel family. Other names for the trendy fruit are Alligator bulb or Butterfruit.
The exotic fruit originated in southern Mexico and was cultivated in the Coxcatlan culture in Tehuacan. In subtropical and tropical Central America, the fruit has been used and exploited for 10,000 years.
It is only since the beginning of the 20th century that the avocado has been cultivated around the Mediterranean.
What's in an avocado?
Butterfruit contains many nutrients that are super for our health and also our beauty. :)
The avocado contains six important substances:
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Healthy fats
Often, the tropical fruit is mistakenly called a fattener. This happens because of the high fat content. Of course, it has a larger and higher fat content compared to other fruits and vegetables. However, it is healthy Fatthat we need in our diet.
100 grams of avocado contain about 15 g of fat and 160 calories. The majority of these fats are unsaturated fatty acids. These so-called simple and unsaturated fatty acids are absolutely important for our body and can help with weight loss.
Recent studies show that a diet rich in oleic acid helps to lower harmful LDL levels while increasing protective HDL levels.
Other studies also show that the oleic acid contained in avocado is burned as a long-term energy source. It is not as body fat stored. These fats are therefore not immediately transformed into "flab" but provide a long-lasting feeling of satiety.
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Phytosterols
The ingredients contained in the trend fruit Phytosterols help lower cholesterol levels.
One example of phytosterols is beta-sitosterol. This is also found in the avocado. Phytosterols are organic compounds that have similar structures to cholesterol.
The similarity leads to the fact that the Phytosterols compete with cholesterol for the same receptors. Thus, absorption is already slowed down during digestion.
A super Phytosterol Source are raw avocados. But much better still is virgin avocado oil.
To eat healthier, it is advisable to replace chemically processed oils such as sunflower oil with virgin avocado oil.
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Antioxidants
The in-fruit also contains many antioxidants such as beta-carotene, alpha-carotene or beta-crytoxanthin, neoxanthin and neochrome.
The Antioxidants are super for our cells, because they protect them from free radicals. These are responsible for aging and a number of other diseases, including cancer.
The highest concentration of carotenoids is found directly under the skin. Therefore, it is worthwhile to scrape the avocado skin very well.
Special antioxidants are for example lutein and zeaxanthin. You can find a large amount of these in avocado. These Antioxidants are very important because they protect the macula of the eyes.
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Vitamins
But the avocado is also very rich in vitamins and contains much Vitamin Cwhich is another powerful antioxidant. To prevent heart disease and improve your circulation, for example, is a sufficient supply of Vitamin C very important.
Also Vitamin E is an antioxidant. It is fat soluble and therefore very important to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Thus, the risk of heart attacks and strokes is reduced.
Vitamin E is super important for our skin, so that it can not dry out so easily. But also almost all vitamins of the B class are contained in the butterfruit. However, the fruit contains the most B5, followed by B6 and folic acid.
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Minerals
As with almost every fruit and vegetable, the mineral content of the tropical fruit depends on the soil in which it is grown. Avocados have a fairly thick skin. Therefore, less pesticides are needed in cultivation than elsewhere in vegetable or fruit production. Nevertheless, I always reach for Organic avocados.
When you buy organic produce, it is usually grown on arable land that is not as depleted as traditional agriculture. The earth thus remains richer in Minerals. That is why fruits and vegetables grown organically usually have more Minerals.
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Dietary fiber
Of course, an avocado doesn't taste like it contains tons of fiber. With 8 grams per cup of avocado, it is a very good and tasty source of these valuable substances. The fiber, together with the good fats contained in the tropical fruit, ensures that we are quickly full.
What is a hate avocado?
You can find them in almost every supermarket: the Hass avocado. Admittedly, the name sounds a bit unusual. We have gone on a search and explored where the name of this variety comes from.
In the 1930s, the letter carrier Rudolph HassHe discovered a small tree in his garden. He could not classify it. On this little tree hung namely dark purple fruits and not the green avocados of the well-known variety Fuerte.
However, this discovery was not a new breeding but an accidental mutation. The avocado was then named after its discoverer Rudolph Hass named. And that was already the whole story :)
Hass avocado is now grown in Israel, California, Mexico, Spain and Chile and is one of the tastiest varieties.
Here in Central Europe, the Hass avocado, along with the Fuerte avocado, belongs to the most common varieties offered.
It weighs on average between 140 and 350 grams. The flesh of the avocado has an intense, even nutty flavor. The oil content is between 18 and 23 percent.
The Bowl the Hass avocado is green at first, but it becomes darker as it ripens until it finally becomes whole black will.
In this respect, the Hate avocado the black skin is not a sign that the fruit is no longer edible.
It is simply an indication of good ripeness. When you buy an avocado in the supermarket, make sure that the skin is not completely black. You don't know how long the trendy fruit has been in this state in the supermarket, it could also be overripe.
How to grow your own avocado tree
I love plants. And avocados. So I thought I'd just put the pit in. Let's see what happens.
You don't have to throw away the avocado pit after eating the exotic fruit. You can grow your own avocado tree from it. But beware, the laurel plant will most likely not bear flowers or fruit. However, it will always look pretty.
How does it work?
There are two different ways you can create a Avocado tree can plant. You can either plant the avocado seed directly into the soil or you can grow the tree in a water glass.
If you put the avocado tree normally in the Earth take a flower pot, fill it with potting soil and place the seed with the pointy end upwards. However, you may plant the core only up to the half at the most.
It is best if you put a propagator over the avocado seed, this will increase the Humidity around the core. Alternatively, you can use a perforated transparent film. If the room temperature is 25 degrees, it will take root after a few months if you are lucky. Also make sure that the soil does not dry out. Spray the avocado pit with water at regular intervals.
For the second method of planting the Avocado tree you need a glass and three toothpicks. Insert the toothpicks around and in the center of the avocado pit. Do not insert them too deeply, so that the inside of the pit is not damaged.
Now fill the glass with water and place the core in the water until the toothpicks rest on the edge of the glass. The core should move towards the Half in water and the more pointed side should point upwards.
It is best if you place the glass on your window sill at a preferably sunny Place. Water regularly. When the avocado seed germinates and the leaves develop, you can plant it in a flower pot. If you use a flower pot that has a diameter of ten centimeters, you do not need to repot the plant in the first year.
Care of the tree
In the summer months when it is warm, the plant should be watered regularly. For additional care, please use a little liquid fertilizer.
The plant likes Humid air prefer, so also spray them daily with a little lukewarm water. In winter you should give the plant only a little water and no fertilizer. Find a warm place in partial shade.
When the Avocados are in the wild they can be up to 20 meters become high. With a homegrown plant, this size is unlikely. Nevertheless, you can certainly cut them sometimes. When the plant has reached a size of about 30 cm, cut the shoot. Normally, the avocado will then also sprout on the side and continue to grow in branches.
How to make a beautiful avocado rose?
Who does not know them, the beautiful Avocado Roses, that are all over Instagram? They not only look good, they taste good too. We've got a simple tutorial on how to make your own avocado roses.
Indeed, I could not pass up the opportunity to try an avocado rose. At the beginning it is quite exhausting. You also need a lot of tact and patience :)
A photo posted by Sun. (@miss_chaossun) posted on Aug 10, 2016 at 11:01 am.
You need a slightly larger avocado. Divide it in the middle. Cut one of the two avocado halves into very thin slices. Now you start to put the petals in a circle. One always covers the other to a certain extent. Now try to shape them into the shape of a rose.
The thinner and more uniform the petals, the more beautiful your rose will look :)
To prevent the avocado rose from turning brown so quickly and to keep the joy of it undimmed, put a little lemon juice on the avocado.
What else can you do with avocado?
Avocado oil
Butterfruit can be used not only for simple food. She can do much more :)
Very well known is for example Avocado oil. It is used in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Applied to the skin, it is quickly absorbed and improves the appearance of the skin. It is often used as an anti-aging oil, intensive care or hair care.
The Avocado oil clearly stands out from other vegetable oils. The positive effect on our skin was previously mostly associated with the high vitamin content. Now this is attributed to the unsaponifiable ingredients.
Due to the content of phytosterols, the oil is particularly easy to spread. It is quickly absorbed by the skin. The palmitoleic acid makes the oil well tolerated.
Avocado mask
Especially in winter, an avocado mask is an absolute boon for stressed skin. As we know, the butter fruit can do your skin a lot of good and make it soft and supple at the same time.
How does the avocado mask work?
For your Avocado mask you need a ripe fruit, honey, and whole milk or natural yogurt.
First, peel, halve and pit the fruit. Then mash one of the two avocado halves in a bowl.
Then mix in a teaspoon of honey. Honey soothes your skin and clarifies it. A teaspoon of yogurt or milk makes the recipe creamier and moisturizes your skin. Theoretically, you can also add a teaspoon of olive oil to your mask. But you don't have to.
It is best if you clean your skin well before applying the mask and prepare it with a peeling. Then apply the mask and leave it on for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, wash off the mask. Done.
Cleanses the skin, tastes delicious and looks fun :) Give it a try :)
These are our favorite recipes:
We have now picked out the best recipes with avocados. First of all, the trendy fruit is not suitable for longer cooking times, because then it starts to taste bitter.
Another tip: If you only use one half, leave the core in the other half. Why? Because the pit contains enzymes that keep the butterfruit fresh. Now you're going to get some really great recipes from us.
Guacamole
World famous is the Guacamole. It is used as a side dish filling or dip and tastes just huge.
Guacamole is very simple to prepare: first, remove the seeds from a ripe butterfruit and peel it. The pulp is mixed together with lemon juice. This is advisable about a good tablespoon per fruit.
Then you take salt, pepper and mash a little garlic. You can also mash it with a fork. Then you add a few tablespoons of crème fraîche and your sauce is ready. Guacamole.
Guacamole goes perfectly with nachos, vegetable sticks (carrot, kohlrabi, celery) or simply on whole wheat bread with it.
Avocado soup
A hot tip in the cool season is a soup with the trend fruit.
What you need:
- 2 dag butter
- 2 dag flour
- 3/4 l vegetable broth
- 2 pcs avocado
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper white
- 100 ml sparkling wine (optionally white wine)
- 100 ml whipped cream
- Dille
This is how it works:
For the soup, first melt the butter in the pot. Sauté the flour in it until light, then pour in the stock. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cut the Avocados the length. You remove the core, peel them and sprinkle them with lemon juice.
Then mash the flesh and add it to the soup. Season the avocado soup with salt and pepper. Then stir the alcohol into the soup and add the lightly whipped cream. The warm soup is best sprinkled with dill.
A super simple recipe for avocado soup that you should definitely try. You'll see, once you've eaten a homemade avocado soup, you'll want more :)
Avocado dressing
Want some variety in your salad? Then you should try the Avocado-Dressing not to be missed.
You will need:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 clove garlic
- the juice of one lime / lemon
- 200 g yogurt
- 100 ml milk
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
- 1/2 bunch basil
First you wash the basil and shake it a little so that it dries, then you pluck off the leaves. Now peel the garlic and cut it into small pieces. Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone.
Remove the meat from the bowl with a spoon. Add the lime juice, basil, garlic, yogurt and milk to the dressing and puree with a hand blender. Finally, season your avocado dressing with salt, pepper and sugar.
If that is still too little avocado, you can also cut the fruit into thin slices and stir into the salad. :)
Our Tip:
You can also enjoy your favorite fruit simply on a loaf of bread. All you need is salt, bread and an avocado.
Meal :) Do you have another good avocado recipe? We look forward to your tips :)
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