Addicted to Avocados

Have you given up avocados because they are "fattening"?

Avocados contain good unsaturated fats that do not raise blood cholesterol. Yes it is high in fat, 60% is monounsaturated, 20% is polyunsaturated and 20% is saturated. The normal size avocado has about 30 grams of fat.

Down side maybe but only if you eat them everyday.

The up side - the avocado has more beta carotene than any other fruit. It has more potassium than a banana. While other fruits develop more sugar content as they ripen, the avocado decreases its sugar as it ripens.

In fact, the avocado has more protein, magnesium, folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, potassium, biotin, pantothenic acid, vitamin E and vitamin K per ounce than any other fruit.

The average avocado has 704 IU of vitamin A, 13 mg calcium and 3.1 grams of fiber.

OK, now you know the value of an avocado to your health. How about a little back ground.

The avocado is also known as an alligator pear and is native to tropical America. The Aztecs thought it was an aphrodisiac and young women were confined indoors during harvest. In the tropics it is sometimes used as a soap. Avocado oil is currently highly popular in skin products.

Want to have your own avocado plant? Easy to grow from the seed. Just remember the broad end goes in the water. These instructions are from the California Avocado Comission. Wash the avocado seed. Use 4 toothpicks about mid-way in the seed and suspend the seed in the water. The water should cover 1/2" of the seed. Make sure the bottom of the seed remains in the water. Place the glass in a warm place but not in direct sunlight. The seed will crack as roots and stem sprout in 2-6 weeks. Roots will appear first and then the stem. When the root system is 2-3" long, plant in a 6" pot. Water well and put the pot in a sunny window. Fertilize once or twice a month during the spring and summer.

If your seed refuses to do anything in 30 days - toss it and start another. If you can keep your plant alive, you will probably replace it after 2-3 years because it will simply become to large. The avocado is after all a tree.

On its own, planted in your yard, weather permitting, the avocado tree may take 20 years to produce fruit. To have fruit in approximately 3 years you will need to graft a cutting from a bearing tree to your seeding tree. The tree will need deep soil and good drainage.

My favorite way to eat an avocado is so fattening. I mash an avocado, mix with mayonise and put on buttered toast. Slice the avocado in narrow bands around it not length wise to get rid of the strings. Add garlic salt and pepper. So good. No I don't do it too often.

If you have never eaten an avocado and need some fantastic recipes, let me know.