Not many people know all of these interesting avocado questions and answers. I’ve compiled this list of avocado information to share the knowledge on one of the worlds most popular foods.
Do avocados need bees?
In most cases bees are needed to pollinate avocados as the male and female parts of the tree are not open at the same time. In some rare locations avocados can self-pollinate from the wind. Avocados, unlike kiwi fruits, cannot be artificially pollinated as the pollen is too fragile.
Do avocados make you fart?
Avocados are high in fibre and a large fruit contains an adult’s recommended daily intake of fibre. Eating a large amount of fibre in a small time period may cause gas and bloating if someone is not used to fibre.
There’s also a Spanish Saying that “aguacates duros, flatulencia seguros” that translates to eating an avocado before it’s ripe will give you flatulence. Ripeness could also be a factor in causing gas.
When is avocado season?
Avocados are always in season! They grow year-round in Mexico and February to September in California. Throughout the year additional avocado crops come from Chillie, Peru, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand and many other countries. With globalisation you can always get avocados.
Are avocados a fruit?
Yes.
Are avocados a berry?
Yes. Avocado is a single seeded berry as it fits all the botanical requirements to be classified as one.
What is the most popular avocado variety?
Hass avocado accounts for 80% of the worlds avocado crop.
Where does Hass avocado come from?
The Hass avocado is a Californian native that was cultivated by amateur horticulturist Rudolph Hass. All Hass avocados can be traced back to a tree he grew in 1926. The tree was patented in 1935 and was the first ever US patent granted on a tree.
Do avocados contain protein?
Yes about 2g per 100g or 4g for one avocado. The protein in avocados does vary slightly depending on the variety.
Avocados are one of the few fruits with a reasonable amount of protein in.
Do you cook avocados?
You can do but most are eaten raw as they can go bitter once heated. Popular ways to cook are placing a filling in the hole and roasting for 15 minutes at 200C until they turn brown at the edges.
Can you eat avocado skin?
No, it’s inedible.
Do avocados grow on trees?
Yes, the Persea Americana tree that originates from South Central Mexico and grows to 20m.
Do avocados have iron?
Yes, 0.5 mg per 100g, about 3% of an adults RDA for half an avocado fruit.
Do you peel an avocado?
Yes, once the avocado is perfectly ripe the skin will peel away easily. Cut in half or wedges then peel away the dark skin from the flesh.
How can I eat avocado
Avocados are one of the most versatile foods that can be used in sweet and savoury. From salted caramel avocado chocolate mousse to high protein avocado mayo. You can of course just make guacamole or if you are feeling adventurous check out over 30 healthy avocado recipes.
How can I ripen an avocado?
The only way to speed up the ripening of an Avocado is to place in a paper bag with either a banana or apple for 2-3 days. The gasses released by the fruits help to speed the ripening process.
Avocados do not ripen on trees, they get softer once they’ve been picked.
How can I ripen an avocado in the microwave?
You can’t. It doesn’t work. Stop sharing articles like this.
How can you eat avocado seeds?
Dry the avocado seed in the oven for a few hours at 120C / 250F then blend and add to smoothies, teas, baked goodies or dips.
Is it healthy to eat avocado seeds?
There are some touted benefits such as reducing blood pressure, but no solid evidence. There are other concerns that the seed contains harmful compounds.
Is it safe to eat avocado seeds?
There’s no evidence that avocado seeds are safe to eat, as of Nov 2018.
What’s the worlds biggest avocado?
It was 2.4kg and grown on Hawaii.
How many varieties of avocado are there?
There are hundreds of different varieties of avocado, but only 7 are grown commercially in California.
How can you plant an avocado seed?
Clean the seed, locate the top with a point, pierce with toothpicks so that the bottom half can be submerged in water:
Place in water for about 4 weeks, changing the water twice a week, until it sprouts a top and roots. Keep changing the water and make sure the roots are always submerged in water. Once the top tree is 6″ cut it in half to encourage growth then pot in soil. Image from DIY projects.
How can you save half an avocado?
Wipe with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or olive oil and keep in an airtight container in the fridge to last a couple of days.
How can you tell if an avocado is bad?
If the outside skin has cracks or dark spots then it’s bad. Smell the inside of the avocado, if it’s unpleasant then it’s off. If the flesh is brown then it’s off but any green flesh is safe to eat. Check behind the stem, if its brown then it’s bad.
How can you tell if an avocado is good and ripe?
The avocado should feel slightly soft when squeezed but not mushy. Sometimes the skin is slightly darker on a ripe avocado, but not always.
How is avocado good for you?
Avocados contain over 20 different vitamins that help most parts of the body. They contain fibre so are filling and help your digestive system. High in monosaturated fat that is vital for brain function and contain plant compounds that may prevent cancer.
Is it healthy to eat an avocado a day?
Yes. It’s very nutritious, although as its high in fibre it may cause gas if it’s eaten in one sitting.
Is avocado vegan?
Yes. However, as bees are used to fertilise they can be mistreated so buy from reputable growers or avocados with good organic certifications.
How many calories in an avocado?
About 355 calories in the average avocado.
How to juice avocado?
Avocados are not juicable and best in smoothies. Some do juice the unripe hard avocados, but it doesn’t taste good nor is good for you.
How to make avocado toast?
Just mash it with lemon juice, tomato, red onion and garlic and spread on toast.
How to make gluten-free high protein avocado toast?
Check out my gluten-free avocado toast recipes.
Should dogs eat avocado?
They shouldn’t eat the skin or pit but the flesh is safe as long as they don’t eat too much. The biggest risk is choking on the pit.
Are avocados fattening?
No, not on their own. They are high in fat but this doesn’t necessarily lead to fat. Avocados have been shown to help weight loss as they are high in fibre and heart-healthy fats. Of course, if you deep fried avocados they may lead to weight gain.
Should you eat brown avocado?
No. Don’t eat brown avocado flesh but if only part of an avocado is brown the green flesh is safe to eat.
Should you keep avocados in the fridge?
Only once fully ripe or cut. Store ripe avocados in the fridge for up to 3 days to prevent them from going bad.
What can I eat instead of avocado?
It’s hard to replace avocados or guacamole but cashew nut butter, almond nut butter, banana or hummus are good replacements.
Where does the name guacamole come from?
It’s from an Aztec language that translates to “avocado sauce”.
What is avocado oil?
A natural oil pressed from avocado flesh pulp. Used in both cooking as a healthy ingredient and beauty for its moisturising properties.
Where do avocados originate from?
South Central Mexico.
When is national avocado day?
31st July and national guacamole day is 16th September.
When is the avocado festival?
The Californian Avofest is usually at the start of October.
Did I answer all of your avocado questions? If you have any more do let me know in the comments below and will answer them. Or if you know something to be added here let me know about this also.
It is possible to get a fruit from avocado at home? How long its takes? Thanks.
It depends where you live! In the UK and similar places it’ virtually impossible unless you spend a lot heating to create the perfect environment.
How long until an avocado tree bears fruit?
At least 10 years in an environment where avocados thrive, but can sometimes take 15 years.
I love avocados! As an experiment, after halving an avocado the long way, I vacuum sealed the half with the pit intact and put it in the fridge. After
three weeks it was still nice and green (no oxygen to react to). The sealed bag had gone slightly puffy, I assume from the gases put off by the avocado flesh. When I ate the flesh the tip of my tongue gave a tingling sensation as it touch the avocado flesh. What do you think this was caused by?
Hi, not totally sure but it sounds like that fizzy taste you get when something is off? Did it taste good or not?
We share avocado purchases with a friend. He vacuum sealed 3 unripe ones and the gave off gas over a week that stretched the bag. We set them free but it’s been another week and they are hard as rocks. Could sealing them and leaving them on the counter prevent their ripening?
Lots of helpful information, thank you.
I buy avocados in bulk for home use. But all of them ripen in about 3 days. How can I delay the ripening of a part of my stock if avocados?
I put some in the fridge to slow down the ripening, then some in a brown bag with apples and bananas to ripen. Then when they are ready and I don’t want to eat them mash with lemon juice. Hope that helps
Why is it that the outside of the Avacodo is ripe but the flesh inside is still very solid or firm and really doesn’t taste like avocado ??
How was it discovered that only the inside of a avocado is good to eat and not the skin?