20 Unusual Things To Do With Avocado
Avocado is one of the ultimate Paleo super-foods. A great fat source and very versatile, avocado is great in salads and as a breakfast side. But there’s more to the fruit than that! Here is a list of 20 things you didn't know you could do with an avocado.
1. Freeze to use later
Peel and remove the pit and add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to a bowl, per avocado. Mash well together and freeze in an airtight bag (making sure you squeeze all the air out before sealing) for up to a year. A great way to preserve an overflow of avocados.
2. Remove the pit with no mess
Cut the fruit in half and hit a knife into the stone. Simply twist the knife to remove the pit.
3. Ripen fast
Put the unripe fruit in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana. After two or three days the avocado will be ripe.
4. Can’t wait?
If there’s not time to wait for it to fully ripen, cut from the fat end, as this is always the first part to ripen.
5. Drink it
Blend together an avocado, handful of spinach, a pear and some almond milk for a smoothie packed with good fats
6. Treat your hair
Nourish your hair by mixing an avocado, egg yolk and dash of olive oil. Leave this on your dry hair for 30 minutes before rinsing off and shampooing as usual. Your hair will be silky and soft.
7. Spice up your guacamole
Have you tried adding cumin and orange to your favourite guacamole recipe yet?
8. Pickle it
For a different take on avocado, try jarring it. Heat 250ml (1 cup) white vinegar, 250ml (1 cup) water and a tablespoon of salt in a pan until it boils. Cut three firm but ripe avocado into pieces and put in a jar. Pour the boiling liquid in the jar, and once cooled, put the lid on and allow to marinate in the fridge for a couple for days before using (should keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge)
9. Avocado ice cream
Blend an avocado, frozen banana, a few drops of vanilla extract and small tin of coconut milk. Freeze and once frozen, allow to thaw for a few minutes before serving.
10. Roast chicken
Try stuffing a chicken with a peeled avocado before roasting it
11. Make a chocolate pudding with it
Seriously – you have to try chocolate avocado mousse!
12. Save the pit and grow your very own avocado tree
Suspend the pit in a jar of water using tooth picks in the side of the stone, to submerge all but the top of the seed in water. Eventually the stone will break open revealing a root – and then finally a stalk! Then, quite a long time later you’ll have your own avocado tree and all the fruit you could possibly want.
13. Avocado curry?
Have you ever made a chicken curry with avocado as a base?
14. Roast it
Try roasting avocado, by peeling, removing the pit and slicing. Drizzle with oil and season, then bake at 200C (400F) for about 15 minutes. Roast avocado is great with a salad.
15. Eat the pit
Let the pit dry, grate it and add a small amount to a home-made enchilada sauce.
16. Avocado mayonnaise
Instead of adding mayonnaise to your meal, add pureed avocado instead.
17. Skin therapy
Make a face-mask with avocado, an egg white and a squeeze of lemon juice and wear it for 5 to 10 minutes to get the Vitamin A and E benefits directly on your skin.
18. Summertime treat
Make avocado iced lollies (popsicles) by blending avocado, coconut milk and lemon juice and freezing in popsicle moulds.
19. Make your own Avocado oil
If you've got time, patience – and lots of fruit – you can even make your own avocado oil
20. Avocado soup
Make an unusual – but delightful chilled avocado, cucumber and coconut soup. Blend an avocado, pinch of coriander, squeeze of line and small cucumber, then add a small can of coconut milk to the mix. Blend, then serve with some coconut flakes to garnish.
If I've missed of any unusual uses, I’d love you to share them in the comments below! What is your favourite use for an avocado?
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In Chile we smashed it, add salt, lemmon and pepper. We spread it in a toast for breackfast or tea time. We love it!
Also we can use it for dry skin: smashed it, add a tea spoon of honey and a tps of olive oil. Put it over your face for 15-20 minutes. Retiere it with warm water.
That combination sounds great Andreentalca – and would make a great dip for veggies!
I love all these great ideas!
I do have to say one thing though, please please don’t hold the bottom of the avocado when you hit the knife into the pit. I did this last year and ended up severing 2 tendons, a nerve and an artery!!
Yikes! I wondered about that. I saw Dr Mark Hyman whack a knife into the nut on tv one day and wondered what might happened if you missed or slipped. Now I know!
I forgot to add one idea I’ve been baking the avocado with an egg in the middle makes a great breakfast 🙂
I like to mash avocado flesh with cream cheese (Philly), add a few prawns and have it for a light lunch, maybe with Ryvitas.
I add finely chopped pieces of avocado to salads, or mash with a little lemon juice, sea salt and fresh chopped chili.Spread on granary toast, it makes a lovely, wholesome lunch.
Try to mash it up with Port wine. What a dessert!!! And this is Portugal of course!!!
Great tips! I’m a new avocado lover and had no idea what I was missing all those years. My current fav 3 quickie meals are 1) to simply add a scoop of protein mix to a half an avocado and mash with a fork, 2) top it with coconut oil and cinnamon, or 3) top it with almond butter, shredded coconut, flax and/or chia seeds, and cacao nibs. DEE-lish!
I saw this great option on Dr Oz – cut up one avacado into a dessert bowl, peel an orange, squeeze a little of the juice over the avocado, then chop up the orange and add to the bowl. Sounds weird but is really yummy.
Avocado chocolate mousse is awesome. So much so I’m having it for dessert tonight 🙂
Two slices of vogels bread – spread with a small amount of marmite, mash avacado on top of the marmite, thin slices of tomatoe, sprinkle of ground sea salt – top off the sandwich – eat with pleasure!!