Avocado the Fruit. I can hardly think of avocado as a fruit because of it’s rich and creamy flesh. The first thing that came to my mind was guacamole, a creamy dip I use for my plain crackers or as a sandwich spread, and also an essential ingredient in the california maki handroll.
When I first bought avocados, they were not meant for me but for my hamsters. They love it because they know avocados are good for them. If you are planning a fattening programme for them, you can feed them some avocados every fortnightly. And since they can only eat so little of the whole avocado, I’ve gotta finish the rest. And mind you, avocados don’t come cheap, so don’t even think of throwing them away.
Many researchers feel that avocado is a fruit you don’t feed to your pets as they believe the cardiac glycosides(toxic compound/natural steroids) is in it. The cardiac glycosides is found in the avocado plant, the leaves, seed and skin but not the fruit. Please don’t feed unripe or overly-riped avocados to them. Click here and here to see some info on the effects of avocados on pets. I wouldn’t say feed at your own risk. But if you’re unsure, just leave out avocados in their diet.
I first had my first avocado milk blended at Alexandra food centre. I thought it was nice, but both B and I had a stomach upset after that and we didn’t touch that drink since. And now that I have a blender, I decided to convince myself to drink it again. And best of all, I can easily use up a whole avocado after feeding my hamsters.
This drink is just like any other blended drink you make at home. Simply just blend the flesh with some milk and honey. It’s best to drink it chilled with either blending the drink with ice cubes or leave it in the fridge for later consumption. I like it creamy and thick. It’s up to your own preference, if it’s too thick for your liking, just add more milk and blend again, till you get the consistency you want. As for the honey, like it sweet, add more. If you have gula melaka, it will taste even better!
Nutritional benefits of an avocado
Avocados are the most energy dense and nutrient rich fruit per calorie.
Each calorie is packed with the goodness of:
- folate (eaten uncooked, avocados retain the benefits of folate)
- antioxidant vitamins A, B6 and C
- monounsaturated fatty acids (the good fat which helps lower blood cholesterol)
- potassium. Avocados contain around 50% more potassium per 100 grams than bananas
- protein. Avocados lead all fruits in their protein content
- low in salt, yet high in fiber
- contain NO cholesterol
Selecting & Ripening
Select avocado that yields to gentle pressure. As it ripens, the skin colour is of a greenish brown. To ripen an avocado, simply leave it in your fruit bowl at room temperature. To speed up the process, place it in a paper bag with an apple. Watch color closely. Once ripe, store the avocado in the refrigerator to make it last longer. A ripe avocado will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Whether slicing, mashing or dicing, to retain a fresh green color, avocados should either be eaten immediately or should be sprinkled with lemon or lime juice and covered in an air-tight container.
If avocado turns brown on the top after storage, simply discard the top layer.
Avocado Milk Blended
1 whole avocado
1 cup of milk
1 tbsp honey
3 to 4 ice cubes (optional)
Click here to see how to remove the pit from the avocado. This method is really easy but please be very careful with the knife and don’t loose your fingers. In the blender, add avocado cubes, milk and honey. Blend till everything are properly puréed. Taste and adjust the amount of milk and honey according to your own preference. Serve chilled.
