So that the avocado does not darken in the salad. How to eat avocado correctly, raw and in dishes. Avocado reduces “bad” cholesterol levels

– the fruit is very healthy and tasty. It is used mainly in salads and appetizers. But, alas, like some other products, such as apples or potatoes, when cut, it quickly begins to darken. If an avocado is cut for a salad, and guests are delayed, then by the time they arrive, the dish may begin to look very ugly.

These include the following: leaving the bone in place, smearing the fetus lemon juice , immersing it in purified form for a long time in water, storage in an airtight container along with the chopped onion... Yes, indeed, all these actions slow down the darkening process of the avocado, but at the same time somewhat spoil its taste and texture.

Why does avocado turn dark?

The thing is that the peel of the fruit contains the enzyme polyphenol oxidase. Once it comes into contact with oxygen, the avocado turns brown.

The method that we will tell you about today belongs to the British chef Raymond Blanc, who teaches culinary arts at his famous school located in Oxford. This method will never let you down. Avocados will stay fresh and green for hours after cutting!

So you need large pot of boiling water, timer or stopwatch, bowl with cold water and ice cubes and ripe avocado.

Let's start the process! Place avocado in boiling water and leave it there for exactly 10 seconds, no more and no less. If you keep it longer, it will lose its freshness and begin to cook, and if you keep it longer, the enzyme will not be destroyed, and the fruit will still darken.

After 10 seconds, remove the avocado from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water, this will prevent the fruit from further cooking. Keep it in cold water until it is completely cool, then remove and wipe dry with a paper towel.

You only need to process one fruit at a time, bringing the water in the pan to a boil each time.

Now the avocado can be peeled and used in dishes. After this procedure, it can remain green for 4 to 6 hours, but if the recipe uses lemon juice, then even longer. If, if necessary, the shelf life of the cut avocado needs to be further extended, it must be covered with plastic wrap.

Avocado is not called a superfood for nothing. Today, this fruit is officially recognized as the most nutritious fruit in the world and is highly recommended by nutritionists as an alternative, natural and healthy source of fatty acids.

There is already an informative article about the benefits and harms of avocados and how to select and store them: Avocado – benefits and harms, today we will learn a few facts about this fruit that may be of interest to many.

1. Avocado is an ancient food

Avocados are considered one of the most ancient plant and food species. Scientists are confident that large animals that lived on earth before extinction about 65 million years ago ate them.

2. Avocados have strange nicknames

The Aztecs called this fruit “ahuacatl,” which also means testicle in Aztec. It is believed that the avocado got its name because the fruit grows in pairs.

3. It's an aphrodisiac

The ancient peoples of Central America considered avocados an aphrodisiac.

4. Avocados ripen faster if...

To ripen the avocado faster, place it in a bag with apples or bananas.

5. To prevent the avocado flesh from darkening...

After peeling, the avocado flesh darkens. To prevent this from happening, just sprinkle it with lemon juice.

6. Avocados are rich in healthy, monounsaturated fats

Avocado pulp can replace harmful saturated fats in the human diet. Contrary to popular belief, our bodies need fats, especially monounsaturated fats, which lower cholesterol and support cardiovascular health.

7. Good for children

Avocado is good for children. The average size Avocado is the same as that of an embryo in the womb at 16 weeks, and in addition, this fruit is recommended for children of any age.

8. Avocado is rich in fiber

9. Avocado reduces “bad” cholesterol

Blood cholesterol levels are a problem for many, but there are healthier products which will help to naturally regulate this indicator. Avocado lowers cholesterol levels with high levels of monounsaturated fat.

10. Avocado makes us younger

11. Contains very little protein

Avocados are not a good source of protein and are recommended more as a source of healthy monounsaturated fats.

How do they eat avocados in other countries?

12. In Brazil, Vietnam and Taiwan, avocado is a popular addition to milkshakes and ice cream.

13. In the Philippines, Jamaica and Indonesia, avocados are used to make sweet dessert with sugar and milk.

14. In Chile, avocados are added to hamburgers, hot dogs and salads.

15. People with latex allergies often feel ill after eating avocados.

16. Composition of avocado

100 grams of avocado pulp This is: 160 kilocalories, 28% of the daily minimum of Vitamin B5, 20% of vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin K, 14% of vitamin E and 12% of niacin.

17. Avocado leaves are toxic to animals

The leaves of the avocado tree, as well as the skin of the fruit, are toxic to many animals and can even be fatal. Cats, dogs, cows, goats, rabbits, birds and horses are especially sensitive to the leaves, bark and peel of the fruit of the avocado tree.

18. Avocado tree decorates the house

The avocado tree can be grown as an ornamental houseplant.

19. Mexicans love avocados the most.

The main producer and exporter of avocados in the world is Mexico. In the food culture of this country, avocado fruits occupy a special place.

20. Avocados don't ripen on the tree, but underneath them.

Like banana, avocado fruit ripens after it is picked from the tree. Under natural conditions, the fruit falls out and ripens on the ground, under a tree.

In modern dietetics, avocado is considered one of the most useful fruits - it contains fatty acids, vitamins B, E and K, and dietary fiber. Rich in vegetable fats, which helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. It is widely used in vegetarian cuisines around the world due to its high protein content. But the trouble is, avocados do not grow in Russia, and therefore are not very popular among the people. Many people, having tried avocado once, find it terribly tasteless and don’t try it again, rather than making a terrible mistake. Almost no one likes avocado the first time! But it’s worth trying it again, and your taste sensations will change for the better! I know many people, especially our former compatriots abroad, who, having tasted an exotic fruit for the first time, almost spat it out with the words “ugh, what disgusting”, and now they eat it in any form, so much so that they go crazy you can't pull it away!

But in order not to be completely disappointed with either the first test or subsequent ones, you need to choose the right avocado. They may object to me: “It’s you who get the most in your avocado-growing countries.” best fruits, and they bring us all the most immature things.” I can assure you that avocados are always picked unripe for transport, regardless of whether they are sent to the supermarket in a city 100 km away or across the ocean. An unripe fruit can be “ripened” at home by placing it in a dark, dry and cool place (wrapped in newspaper for safety).

You should choose a fruit like this: take the avocado in your hand. If you feel that it is literally stone hard, do not take it - it will take a very long time to ripen at home, and it is not a fact that it will ripen and not dry out. If it is already soft under the skin, this means that it is already overripe and is not suitable for food. It is best to take fruits that are still hard, but when pressed they barely noticeably sag. In general, a decent avocado should look something like this (of course, it depends on the variety - the color of the skin varies from bright green to black or even purple, and the shape - from a very elongated pear-shaped to almost round).

When you got home, you cut your avocado... If the inside looks like this, then congratulations, you chose well! Well, if it doesn’t cut, it means it’s not ripe yet, wrap it in newspaper and leave it for a while, but don’t forget to check! And when it looks like this (or even darker, or with pronounced dark spots and veins), then such a fruit can be safely thrown away - it has aged, its taste is no longer the same.

What can you do to prevent sliced ​​avocados from turning dark? The most common advice is to sprinkle with lemon juice. But not everyone knows that you can also spray it vegetable oil, soy or Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce like Tabasco... The preservatives contained in these sauces will protect the surface of the avocado from oxidation. Of course, it is best to eat avocados freshly cut and not leave them for too long. But if you need to preserve, for example, half an avocado, put it in the refrigerator without removing the pit. It will, of course, weather when cut, but this thin layer is easy to remove, again obtaining untouched pulp.

There are a great many ways to eat avocados. It can be served fresh with meat and fish dishes, cut into salads, put in sandwiches, or you can make avocado dip or guacamole. Avocados can even be grilled! Here are some recipes:

Guacamole. Translated from Aztec - “avocado sauce” (the word “avocado” itself is also of Aztec origin. Yes, I love the science of etymology :)). Mash a couple of avocados into porridge with a masher, add lemon juice, salt and black pepper, and a little olive oil. Add finely chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro to this mixture. hot peppers(for fans), you can also add a little Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco. Mix everything, you can serve it as a side dish for dishes, or as a snack - with corn chips.

Avocado dip(as the name suggests, this is something you can dip chips, crackers and other small foods into). Take avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, chopped onion, cilantro, sour cream or mayonnaise, and grind everything in a blender.

Avocado salad. Take a red tomato Bell pepper, cilantro, avocado and a jar canned corn. Cut all large ingredients into small cubes, no larger than the size of a corn grain. Season with salt, spices, lemon juice and vegetable oil.

Avocado stuffed with shrimp. Cut the avocado into halves, remove the pit and remove the skin. Place a few in the hole from the pit. boiled shrimp, pour Thousand Island sauce on top, garnish with parsley or cilantro leaves, and place fresh cucumber sliced ​​next to it.

However, as with other fruits, avocado tends to "wither" quickly. That is, it quickly loses its freshness, becomes dark and, of course, no longer looks as attractive and appetizing as we would like.

Most people know that to extract maximum benefit from, it is best eaten fresh and whole. The rule “the sooner the better” applies here. But sometimes you can’t eat the whole avocado. And you are left with a piece that is a pity to throw away and at the same time has nowhere to put it.

Fortunately for us, there are several ways that will allow you to keep this fruit fresh longer and use it for its intended purpose a little later.

Leave a pit

If you have more left, the second half will quickly weather and darken. In order to prevent this, you can try to find a replacement that will perform the function of the bone. But it’s better to try to cover the entire remaining piece of avocado.

Onion

This method is as follows: you need to cut the quarter into large pieces and place them on the bottom of an airtight container. Place the half of an avocado you have left unused on top, pit side up. Close the container with a lid and place it in the refrigerator.

The onion vapor helps preserve the natural green color and freshness of the avocado. Since only the avocado peel comes into contact with the onion, such storage will not affect its taste. Yes, and chopped onions can also be used for other purposes.

Olive oil

is another all-natural product that will help you keep your avocado fresh without changing its taste or smell.

You just need to grease the rest of the avocado olive oil and place it in an airtight container. The oil will protect the fruit from contact with air and, thus, ensure its “pristine” appearance.

Lemon juice

Another way to preserve the freshness and color of your avocado is to use juice. These two ingredients complement each other perfectly and are often used together in various recipes. Even though the avocado will become sour, this will not spoil it at all.

Citric acid significantly slows down oxidation processes. All you need to do is pour lemon juice over the rest of the avocado.

The second option is to place a large slice (circle) of lemon on top of the remaining half of the avocado (without the pit). In both cases, it is best to store avocados in an airtight container. The ideal temperature is 4 ºC and no more than 2-4 days.

Cold water

The most common method of storing avocados, most often used in homes and restaurants, is to place the rest of the fruit in a cold storage to limit its exposure to air. This method will suit you if you use the avocado on the same day, but a little later.

Cling film will help keep avocados fresh

Food grade (polyethylene) film is also an indispensable tool in everyday life. It perfectly preserves the freshness of various food products and already prepared dishes. And avocado in in this case will not be an exception.

Wrap the remaining piece of fruit in film and put it in the refrigerator. Perhaps in a day or two the avocado will still darken. In this case, it will be enough to simply cut off the top weathered layer.

Mash the avocado

If you hate throwing away the rest of the avocado and have nowhere to put it (everything is already cooked), then a great way to keep the fruit fresh is to make the famous and incredibly tasty guacamole from it. To do this, you just need to mash the avocado and add 1 tablespoon of lime (per half) to the resulting paste.

A tart lime juice (like lemon juice) will prevent the avocado from oxidizing and maintain its attractive green color. But to be sure, place your guacamole in an airtight container. You can also cover it with cling film first.

The film and lid will protect the avocado from exposure to oxygen, and therefore from oxidation. Later, you can use this avocado paste by adding it to your salad.

Well, now you know exactly what to do with the remaining half of the avocado. Be sure to try one of the methods, you won’t regret it!

Avocado is an evergreen, fast-growing fruit plant belonging to the Laurel family. Reaches a height of twenty meters. Its ripe fruits have the shape of a dark green pear and are a real collection of useful elements, macro- and microelements. It belongs to the category of exotic fruits, so before eating it you need to know how to eat avocado, how much you need to eat per day, what is good for the body, what to look for when choosing, the features of its preparation and combination with other products in culinary dishes.

In contact with

Classmates

The vegetable fruit avocado is a universal product; it can be consumed both raw and added when preparing cold appetizers, first courses and side dishes. Thanks to its composition, it will become an indispensable component proper nutrition and is great for both daily use and the holiday table.

Before eating an avocado, you need to know how to properly peel the fruit:

1. Cut the flesh in half lengthwise down to the bone.
2. Separate the halves and remove the pit.
3. Lift the skin with a knife and remove it by hand, or scrape the pulp from the skin using a spoon.

If the fruit plant is ripe, then there will be no difficulty in separating the skin and pit. If they are firmly attached to the pulp, then the fruit is not ripe enough and should not be eaten.

Raw

For exotic lovers, it will be interesting to know whether avocados can be eaten raw. Of course yes. There are a couple of simple and quick recipes a hearty snack where the fruit is used fresh:

1. The unpeeled fruit must be divided into two equal parts, remove the bone, sprinkle with lemon juice, vegetable olive oil, and sprinkle with spices. Use a spoon to eat the pulp, separating it from the skin.
2. After peeling the avocado, cut into slices, pepper, salt and eat as a snack or appetizer.
3. Avocado toast. Mash the peeled fruit with a fork and spread on a piece of toast or slice rye bread. Great option for a light breakfast or a healthy snack.

Knowing how to properly eat avocado raw, you can use it not only to diversify your daily menu, but also to get a sufficient amount of nutrients for the health and beauty of your body.

Avocado serving options

Cook as part of dishes

In many national cuisines European and Asian countries, in the USA the exotic fruit is widely used as a component various dishes: salads, rolls, desserts, sauces, soups, as a side dish for meat. In Russia, avocado is not so popular, because not everyone knows how to properly prepare this product.

There are many simple and delicious recipes using avocado:

1. Cream soup. It is necessary to beat the peeled fruit in a blender, add to chicken bouillon and bring the soup to a boil. For additional taste and aroma, you can add spices, herbs, fried garlic cloves, and crackers.
2. Garnish for lean meat or red fish. Avocados can be served as puree or chopped pieces of flesh, seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil.
3. Avocado in salad. It goes well with many products. The result is a tasty and healthy dish.
4. Sauce. Combined with tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic and spices, the fruit will be an excellent addition to meat, fish or as a snack on toast or chips.
5. Dessert. Avocado can replace butter when baking. And in some countries it is added when making ice cream and milkshakes.

Avocado is a universal product, but it is important to remember that in order to eat avocado both raw and as part of dishes, you need to choose the right fruit: it must be fresh and ripe.

What goes well with?

Many supporters healthy eating Having bought an avocado in a supermarket, they will definitely ask how and what to eat it with. At its core, the plant fruit has a mild taste, so it can be combined with many foods:

1. Fresh fruits and vegetables: tomatoes and cucumbers, bell pepper, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, pineapple and others.
2. Seafood: shrimp, squid, mussels, lightly salted salmon or salmon.
3. Mustard, spices, lemon juice, garlic, herbs. It is often used as a base for a sauce with added spices.
4. Dairy products: cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt.

Knowing how to eat avocado and with what, you need to remember that this exotic fruit has high calorie content, so the amount of product eaten should be small.

Avocado tastes like a mixture butter with and fresh herbs, which makes it possible to use the fruit in various dishes, where the product adds new flavors.

Is it possible to eat the bone and how to do it?

When peeling an avocado, many people will certainly ask whether it is possible to eat the fruit seed. It turns out it is possible. It contains tannins, which in large doses can have a toxic effect on the human body. In addition, the bone is bitter, which is not at all similar to the taste of avocado pulp. However, if you consume it in small quantities, you can get a lot of benefits.

The fruit seed has the following properties:

1. It is a collection of vitamins, healthy fats, macro- and microelements.
2. Contains substances that are necessary for good performance of the heart muscle and gastrointestinal tract;
3. Regulates.

To make the bitter taste of the avocado bone less noticeable when consumed, you need to peel it from the brown skin, cut it into small pieces, fry or bake it. Then grind in a blender or meat grinder and add to food.

How much can you eat per day?

For many adherents of a healthy diet, avocado is an indispensable product for daily consumption, however, being a high-calorie fruit, you need to know how much of it you can eat per day.

Nutritionists advise eating avocados every day, but only if the quantity does not exceed one. It is worth remembering that excessive consumption of a high-calorie product can affect your figure and well-being: cause heaviness in the stomach, nausea, and a feeling of discomfort.

Is it allowed during pregnancy or not?

The period of bearing a child is a time when the female body needs proper nutrition and a large amount of nutrients. That's why the expectant mother needs to keep an eye on daily diet and consume as many foods rich in vitamins and microelements as possible. The question arises whether pregnant women can eat avocados or not. There is no clear answer.

Is it edible if...?

Before you eat an avocado, you need to know how to choose the right one. It should be ripe, without a characteristic odor, dark spots or cracks on the skin. However, it happens that after purchasing, when you cut the fruit, it turns out to be green or with black dots inside. What to do?

Green

Having bought an unripe fruit in a supermarket, the buyer will definitely have a question whether it is possible to eat a green avocado. Can. Unripe fruit will not cause much harm to the body, however, you should know that it is hard and absolutely tasteless. Therefore, the unripe product is not consumed in its pure form and is not added to dishes.

With black dots inside

When you buy an avocado with black spots inside, the question inevitably arises: is it safe to eat? Better not. The formation of dark spots inside the fruit indicates that the plant fruit has begun to deteriorate and has an unpleasant taste. You can, of course, cut them off and eat only the untouched part. However, often when black spots form, the product becomes unfit for consumption.

The pulp has darkened

Buyers who have purchased a fruit with brownish flesh have a logical question: is it possible to eat an avocado if it has darkened inside? This means that the exotic fruit was subjected to improper storage or a rapid change in temperature. A product with darkened flesh does not become poisonous, but its taste changes significantly and its beneficial properties decrease. Therefore, when preparing dishes, knowing what a fresh avocado tastes like, you won’t want to spoil your dinner with a low-quality product.

At what age can it be given to children?

Before introducing avocado into your child’s diet, it is worth knowing at what age it can be given. Pediatric doctors do not have any specific recommendations regarding the period from which the product should be introduced. Since the fruit belongs to the category of exotic fruits, it is better to use it in the diet of a child after three years. During this period, the gastrointestinal tract is already sufficiently formed and can process fatty foods.

When introducing a plant fruit into your baby’s diet, you need to know how much avocado you can eat per day:

1. The first portion should not exceed half a teaspoon per day.
2. For children 6-9 years old, a quarter of a piece of fruit per day is enough.
3. For children over 10 years old, you can eat no more than half a day.

Knowing at what age and in what quantity avocado can be given to children, it can be used to diversify and enrich the child’s diet with useful substances. It is better for your baby to consume this exotic fruit in the form of a puree with the addition of fruits and vegetables.

Is it possible for the night?

The avocado plant fruit is a high-calorie product, so it is not surprising that adherents of proper nutrition are interested in whether it can be eaten at night.

According to experts, regular consumption of a product with vegetable fat before bed has a positive effect on the state of the digestive system, helps with constipation and gastrointestinal diseases, and improves metabolism. That's why avocados can be eaten both during the daytime and before bed. Find out whether you should eat bananas at night.

Is the peel edible?

After peeling an avocado, the question often arises whether it is safe to eat. The answer is no better. It is tough and has a bitter taste. Therefore, when preparing the fruit for consumption, it is recommended to peel it.

Thanks to its composition and valuable elements, avocado is very useful for the good functioning of human organs and systems. With frequent consumption of the fruit, you can get the following results:

1. Helps in the body.
2. Helps with gastrointestinal diseases and constipation.
3. Contains vitamin E, which improves the production of collagen and elastin, which has a noticeable effect on the skin.
4. Is a natural antioxidant.
5. Due to the high content of fatty acids, it reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis.
6. Improves metabolism, promotes the breakdown of subcutaneous fat.
7. It has a positive effect on the central nervous system, increases concentration and memory.

Before you eat an avocado, you need to know how to choose it correctly on the shelves in the supermarket so that the fruit is of good quality and ripe. There are several characteristic features by which selection should be made:

1. The skin of the plant fruit should be smooth, without dark spots or cracks.
2. Ripe fruit is soft to the touch.
3. A ripe avocado easily breaks off the stalk and the flesh underneath is bright green.
4. It is best to buy a pear-shaped product. This means that the fruit was picked not quite green, and it ripened on the tree.
5. You can buy green avocados and let them ripen at home. Thus, the fruit will definitely not be overripe and will be suitable for consumption.

Useful video

From the video you will clearly learn how to choose the right avocado and how you can eat it:

Conclusion

1. Avocado is a plant fruit that contains a large number of useful substances that have a positive effect on the functioning of many human organs and systems.
2. He has a nice creamy taste, therefore it is used both raw and as part of various dishes.
3. Exotic fruit goes well with seafood and fresh vegetables, fruits.
4. When choosing it, you should pay attention to the shape and condition of the skin.
5. You should not eat unripe fruit with black spots and darkened flesh.
6. It is important to observe proportions when introducing them into a child’s diet.
7. Avocado is contraindicated during pregnancy.

In contact with