Avocado is one of the most “unusual” exotic fruits that hits our store shelves. And this despite the fact that it’s been a long time since the 21st century! Most of us, when we see an avocado, experience both feelings of interest and danger. After all, we do not know what is hidden under the green peel of this “alligator pear”, and therefore we expect everything from it. And in general...
Avocado – fruit or vegetable?Avocado is so exotic fruit for our country that some people still consider it a vegetable. Although this product cannot be a vegetable, because it grows on trees, the height of which often exceeds 10 and even 15 meters! Therefore, remember and tell others: avocado is a fruit. Unusual, mysterious, but still a fruit.
What is its feature? Judge for yourself…
Absolutely all parts of the avocado, except the pulp, are poisonous (they won’t kill you, but they can ruin your health). Therefore, to eat an avocado, you must either peel it (which is only accessible to humans) or swallow it whole. However, large animals capable of swallowing an avocado whole have not survived to this day (all died out a long time ago).
As a result, widespread distribution of this type of plant is impossible (animals cannot spread it around within their own gastrointestinal tract). And this inevitably should have led to the complete disappearance of avocados as a species thousands of years ago. But for some reason this did not happen. That is why avocados are often called an “evolutionary anachronism” that has survived to our time only by miracle. Fortunately, this fruit is now cultivated by people, so its extinction is now likely to be postponed indefinitely.
This representative of the laurel family is grown in Mexico, Chile, the USA, China, Spain and other tropical countries, including Israel, from where avocados now mainly come to our supermarkets.
Under the skin of the avocado there is a very nutritious edible pulp, and inside it - inedible pit(contains toxins). This fruit tastes very much like butter, especially if you mix it with a “pinch” walnut. On the other hand, each person perceives avocado differently, and your opinion may be completely different from the opinion of all gourmets in the world combined. Therefore, let's move away from discussing the subjective properties of avocados and move on to the objective ones...
Chemical composition of avocado
What are the benefits of avocado?
First of all, avocado is beneficial due to its high nutritional value– more than 150 kcal per 100 grams of pulp. Which is equivalent to 20-25 grams butter, but without a single milligram of cholesterol!
Of course, many women can now throw up their hands and think: “Here you go.” dietary product..." However, you should not lose hope, because eating avocados can still lead to weight loss. The main thing is to choose the right diet (with minimum quantity animal fats).
At the same time, another aspect is extremely important - after studying several recipes with avocados, you can feed your beloved men tasty and satisfying without fear of damaging their fragile cardiovascular system. Thus, you have the opportunity to extend their life for years and even decades! With avocados, the risk of developing atherosclerosis, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases is reduced by tens of percent. True, to achieve such results, you will have to almost completely eliminate saturated animal fats from your diet, which carry excess cholesterol into our body.
Avocado helps maintain normal hemoglobin levels in the blood. But not at the expense large quantity iron, but due to the presence of copper in it, without which iron cannot be absorbed in the body.
Spread beneficial features avocado and on the gastrointestinal tract. According to nutritionists, the fruits of this plant do an excellent job of cleansing the intestines of harmful microorganisms, waste and toxins, which makes avocado a very worthy “cure” for constipation and eating disorders.
Thanks to the abundance of B vitamins, avocado is useful for anyone who experiences constant stress and has problems with nervous system. This fatty fruit nourishes and strengthens nerve fibers, simultaneously increasing alertness and the ability to remember information.
The same thing happens with the skin, which, under the influence of the nutrients contained in avocado, becomes smooth, silky and moderately moisturized. Which in turn leads to a gradual smoothing of wrinkles.
In addition, it is believed that avocados can help cure diseases of the liver, kidneys, and eyes, and also protect the body from cancer and premature aging.
As you can see, the benefits of avocado are obvious. All that remains is to deal with the damage...
Harmful effects of avocado and contraindications for its consumption
There is only one contraindication to consuming avocado pulp – individual intolerance to the fruit.
As for the harm, it has not been detected at this time. But this does not mean at all that you can eat kilograms of avocados, because this will inevitably lead to weight gain. excess weight and oversaturation of the body with the same type of fats, which, despite their naturalness, still cannot replace the entire range of fatty acids necessary for a person.
And, of course, we should mention harmful properties seeds, which contain toxins.
As a result, we have the following: if you don’t want problems, don’t eat avocado seeds and don’t overeat.
How to choose a ripe avocado
Due to the fact that avocados are a rare guest on our table, choosing an avocado in a store most often comes down to an external examination of the fruit in order to exclude mechanical damage and outright rot. At the same time, we can easily take a hard avocado, relying on the “features of the variety,” and then tell everyone who asks that avocado is not so delicious fruit.
Naturally, the experimental path is the most correct. However, it is better to back up “experiments” with at least some theory. Therefore, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with and carefully remember the following criteria for choosing a ripe avocado:
- There should be no external damage or outright rot (well, you already knew that).
- The peel should be elastic (not hard or loose). Although variations are possible here, because you can plan to eat an avocado in a week - then the unripe fruit can be taken. In this case, you just need to put it in a paper bag or wrap it in newspaper and leave it in a dark place at room temperature.
It should also be understood that varietal differences still exist. For example, Florida avocados have a more delicate peel, while Californian and Pinkerton avocados have a tougher “crocodile” skin. Be sure to take this into account when choosing.
- The bone should make noise when shaken. More precisely, not the bone itself, but its core. In a noisy place, the sound of the core is extremely difficult to hear, so don’t be shy – bring it to your ear and listen.
- In Florida avocados, the seed is large, in other varieties it is smaller. At first glance, this is a rather important factor that allows you not to overpay for a useless and toxic bone. However, if we take into account that the taste of different varieties Since avocados vary dramatically, skimping on the pit is not the wisest decision.
The size of an avocado fruit, like its color, has nothing to do with the ripeness of the fruit. Therefore, choose an elastic, “noisy” and in all respects clean fruit, and you definitely won’t regret it!
Victoria from Volgograd
The family really loves salads with avocado. How to choose the right fruit in the store so that it is ripe?
Exotic avocado is a very tasty fruit if you choose it correctly. Determining its ripeness is not at all difficult if you know some rules. If you do buy a green fruit, don’t be upset. You can let it ripen at home.
Peel color
Not knowing how to determine the ripeness of an avocado, many first of all evaluate its appearance and choose fruits with brown skin. This is fundamentally wrong. The color of the peel and the shape of the avocado can tell about its variety and indicate spoilage. In our stores you can find three varieties of this fruit:
Advice. Choose fruit that has no signs of spoilage (cuts, dents, mold).
Fruit hardness
You can determine the ripeness of an avocado by tactile sensations, namely by assessing its hardness.
Take the fruit in your hands and press the peel with your finger without much effort. The result of pressing will tell you about the ripeness of the avocado:
- the avocado is hard, there is no dent when pressed - the fruit is unripe, the flesh will be bitter and unpleasant in taste;
- there is a “porridge” feeling inside, a deep dent is a signal that the avocado is overripe and most likely rotten inside;
The degree of ripeness of the fruit can be determined by the hardness of the fruit.
- when pressed, a dent formed and quickly fell apart - you have in your hands a perfectly ripe avocado with the best taste properties.
Advice. Don't be overzealous with pressing the avocado. If the fruit is overripe, it may fall apart right in your hands. Why do you need trouble in the store?
The seed and stem will tell you about ripeness
In a ripe avocado, the pit inside peels off from the pulp, but in a green avocado, it is fused with it. Bring the fruit to your ear and shake it. If you can hear the tapping sound of the pit, rest assured that the avocado is ripe. Deaf silence in response? Let such fruit still ripen.
Fruit of optimal ripeness (left) and overripe (right)
The color of the area under the stem is an indicator of the ripeness of the avocado:
- brown – the avocado is already overripe;
- with yellowness - it’s too early to eat the fruit;
- bright green - here it is, the perfect exotic pulp. If a bonus to the color under the stalk is Fresh Juice, feel free to buy the fruit.
Ripening at home
Sometimes it happens that, through negligence or intentionally, you have to buy an unripe avocado. Don't despair. You can let it ripen at home.
Avocado ripens well in a paper bag
Wrap the fruit in plain paper (paper towel) and leave it in the room. In 3-4 days it will “arrive”. If you want to speed up ripening, wrap bananas in paper with avocados.
Advice. Do not put avocados in the refrigerator to ripen. This will only ruin it.
It is better to store ripe avocados in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, first wrapped in paper. It will not last longer than two weeks, take this into account when purchasing.
Avocado is dietary and very healthy fruit With unusual taste. You already know how to choose an avocado. Use our tips to avoid throwing money away.
How to choose an avocado: video
The second common name for avocado is alligator pear. The unusual “vegetable” taste of this fruit makes it ideal ingredient for salads, pasta and various snacks. Contained in avocados fatty acid, potassium, copper, iron, riboflavin improve the general condition of the body, normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular and digestive system. But in order to fully enjoy the taste of the fruit, as well as get your “dose” of benefits from it, you need to know how to choose an avocado. What criteria should you follow when purchasing?
Ripe avocado: how to choose by color
One of the main criteria by which you can buy a ripe fruit is the color of its peel. Please note the following points:
- Light green skin indicates that the avocado is still completely unripe. If you place it on the windowsill, the fruit will ripen in about five days.
- The moderately green peel also serves as an argument against the purchase: such an avocado will ripen only on the third or fourth day after purchase.
- Rich green is a good choice. The fruit with this peel color is almost ripe. Its full taste will be revealed in 24 hours.
- Dark- green color approaching brown means the avocado is already fully ripe. A fruit with such a peel can be eaten immediately, without waiting for it to ripen.
- A very dark skin color (green, almost completely turning into brown) indicates that the avocado is overripe. In this case, the taste of the fruit will no longer be able to “boast” of those shades for which avocados are so valued. Naturally, if we are not talking about the Haas variety: it is characterized by a very dark, almost black peel.
There is another little trick for precise definition ripe avocado. You need to remove the stem from the fruit you like and check what color is underneath it. If it is bright green with brownish veins, then you can complete your “research” and return home to prepare the salad. A yellow-green or dark brown (brownish) tint clearly indicates that the avocado is unripe or overripe, respectively - you will have to continue your search.
It is bad if the skin of the fruit is covered excessive amount black spots. A “healthy” fruit may only have one small spot, otherwise the “marks” clearly indicate spoilage of the avocado.
How to choose the right avocado by touch
It is almost impossible to buy a good fruit just by visually assessing it. This means that you will have to literally take the situation into your own hands. The ripeness of an avocado is determined by the following characteristics:
- when pressed, the fruit gives in a little, but as soon as the pressure stops, the dent quickly disappears;
- you can clearly hear the tapping of the pit inside the avocado if you shake the fruit near your ear;
- when you press on the trace of the cutting, juice is slightly released through it.
You should avoid very hard fruits that do not respond to pressure and do not “sound” when shaken. These “stone-shaped” avocados have not yet ripened enough to be used for cooking. If you have no choice (after all, there are often no ripe fruits in stores), you should purchase unripe fruit. You can help it “grow up”: to do this, you need to put the avocado in a paper bag or simply wrap it in paper and place it in a dark, dry place where room temperature is stable. The shelf life depends on the degree of initial “readiness” of the fruit.
The bend in the other direction is also bad. If the avocado you like is too pliable and it seems that mushy pulp is hidden under the skin of the fruit, then the fruit has long been overripe. In particularly “neglected” cases, you can even accidentally crush an overly ripe fruit (therefore, it is better to behave moderately “restrained” in relation to the avocado).
How to choose an avocado in a store: the most delicious variety
Most often, the following avocado varieties are offered to domestic buyers:
- Florida. Mainly found on shelves in winter. The peel of the fruit is difficult to remove; during peeling, the edible pulp is also partially removed. Avocado is characterized by an unusual sweetish flavor, which makes the fruit poorly suited for most salads. But the Florida variety is considered the least high-calorie.
- Pinkerton. The most common variety. It cleans well and is different good taste, which makes it indispensable during culinary experiments.
- Californian, or Haas. This variety is often confused with Pinkerton, but it is quite easy to distinguish them by the peel: in Haas it is much darker, rather close to brown in color. The fruit itself has a round shape, and its pulp is highly pliable.
The most delicious variety of avocado is Haas. But it is almost impossible to buy this fruit ripe: due to the excessive softness of the fruit, it is difficult to transport, so stores usually have unripe “representatives”.
Pinkerton is perhaps the best option. It has a small seed, and its peel is easily removed without affecting the pulp. In addition, the fruit is suitable for preparing the most common avocado dishes - rolls and salads.
The Florida variety fares worst. It is considered the most tasteless and uneconomical: due to the large seed and the inability to remove the peel without pulp, a significant part of the paid weight ends up in the trash.
Avocado is a very controversial fruit. Many people start spitting as soon as they hear about it: the whole point is that few people have ever tried the ripe fruit. But now you know how to choose the right ripe avocado.
Avocado is a fruit beloved by many, but it is not always easy to find it, and even more difficult to choose - they often lie on the shelves unripe and hard. And yet this is not a reason to deny yourself pleasure, but just a matter of time and patience. We learned from the owner of the Avocado Point cafe about how to choose avocados, what varieties there are, which ones you should pay attention to and, of course, how an avocado should ripen correctly.
How to choose?
Elina Osipova
owner of the Avocado Point bar chain
The avocado fruit is first and foremost a berry, and the ripeness of any berry is determined by how easily it can be picked from the bush. While we in Russia do not pick avocados from the trees and all the fruits are delivered in a semi-finished state, there are a couple simple ways determine the ripeness of an avocado: softness gives us the first indication of ripeness, but we should not rely on this alone, since even a moderately soft one can be unripe, overripe and, worse, rotten inside.
When purchasing, it is important to look at the stalk; it should separate quite easily, but not fall off on its own - this is the first sign that the avocado is rotten. The color of the fruit under the cutting is also important, it should be a confident light yellow, a little greenish, the main thing is not dark, otherwise it will be dark inside.
What varieties are there?
Avocado is the star of fruits, there are hundreds of varieties different forms, sizes, colors, tastes and textures. The most popular and present on the shelves:
"Hass"- black peel, round shape and small seed size, delicate oily texture, yellow flesh and slightly nutty taste, ideal for guacamole. “Hass” is also pleasant because it is easy to transport and ripens well, rarely spoiling and turning black. The most reliable variety. Season - all year round, brought from Kenya, Israel, South Africa, Mexico.
"Fuerte"- green peel, elongated shape, seed, usually small. This variety has a more herbaceous taste, is more unstable in ripening, and the flesh is white-yellow. Season: summer and autumn.
"Ettinger"- thin green peel, drop-shaped, but a very large stone, this is a significant disadvantage of this variety, because the weight of the fruit is quite large - 200–250 grams, there is not much pulp in it, and the stone inside quickly begins to become overgrown with a white coating, which is why the fruit itself loses its taste and turns into a potato. Season from September to January.
"Pinkerton"- pimply skin, small pit, yellower at the pit and lighter at the edges, pear-shaped. The skin peels off easily, like the Hass, but the weight is usually greater. Season - autumn - spring.
There are also more exotic varieties that can be found in markets like Usachevsky and Danilovsky:
Semil 34- very tasty, oval in shape, often similar to a ball, the weight of one fruit is up to a kilogram, and the pure pulp is about 65–70%. It is very important that, despite the fact that the variety is from the hot Dominican Republic, it is frost-resistant, that is, it can be stored for a long time and nothing will harm it. It has several stages of ripening and this changes the taste. The finished “semil” has a fresh, fruity taste, juicy, and can be eaten even just like that, not very good for guacamole, as it will be watery. However, let it overripe slightly, and it will be exactly like “hass”, that is, it will become oily, a nutty taste will appear, and the flesh will turn bright yellow.
"Royal Black Avocado" from Burma and Vietnam. This variety is very similar to the giant “hass”: black dense peel and unusual pulp. The shape of an ideal ball and a small stone, this variety produces the most delicious and beautiful guacamole, as the pulp has a canary yellow color. This variety can occasionally be found on shelves in specialized stores. exotic fruits. The season is very short - December - March.
What to do with the unripe?
Find on shelves ripe avocado not always easy - the reality is that most often we buy firm avocados and wait for them to ripen. Question: how to do this faster? There are a lot of videos on the Internet showing how to quickly ripen an avocado: some bake it in foil, others put it with bananas. My method does not guarantee ripening in two hours, but it certainly will not ruin the taste and texture, which, in my opinion, is the most important thing.
Choosing a ripe avocado in a supermarket or store is not difficult. Avocado is one of the fruits that can be ripened at home. Therefore, if you choose a green avocado, then it’s okay, it will be able to ripen on its own in your home. But how do you know when it is ripe and ready to eat? There are two most popular methods that we will consider.
Avocado pulp is soft and has a delicate oily consistency. After purchase, the ripeness of the fruit is determined by its cut. A ripe avocado has a rich aroma, an oily consistency, and the pit is easily separated from the pulp.
The skin and color of avocado may also vary depending on the variety. Some types of fruit have a smooth surface, while others have wrinkles or pimples. Regardless appearance and skin color, it is recommended to eat only ripe fruits. Unripe or overripe fruits will have poor taste characteristics.
Not ripe avocado
Until ripeness: 5-6 days
Light green color. When pressed, the avocado is firm and does not press through. If you bought such a fruit, it will ripen perfectly when room temperature. Place it on a windowsill or somewhere where it will receive more daylight and check the fruit after a few days.
1-2 days until ripeness.
The medium green and slightly soft avocado is almost ready to eat. Once cut, the bone will still be difficult to remove. If you cut such an avocado, cover it with film and let it stand for 1 day at room temperature.
Ripe avocado
Ready to eat.
Dark green color. But the color of different avocado varieties may vary. Do not press too hard on the fruit; if you feel that it is soft and squeezable, then the avocado is ripe and you can eat it. If you want to use this fruit in a couple of days, then put it in the refrigerator.
Overripe avocado
Overdue.
Very dark green, closer to black. An overripe avocado is very soft to the touch and may have dents. Such a fruit may emit an unpleasant smell of spoiled product. When cut, an overripe avocado may have black bruises inside. It is better to get rid of such avocados and not eat them.
The color of an avocado depends on its variety and can be almost any shade from dark green to brown. Sometimes there are almost black fruits - they are the most tasty variety avocado. The ripeness of this type of avocado is determined by its softness.
Haas Avocado (dark variety)
Method 2. Selection by cuttings
When choosing a ripe avocado, pay attention to the stem (cutting) of the fruit. If there is a “tail” on the fruit, remove it to see the color of the cutting.
It should be light brown in color. If it is black, it means the avocado is overripe and it is better not to eat this fruit.
Signs of a ripe avocado
- ripe avocados have a darker skin color than unripe ones;
- the skin of a ripe fruit is evenly colored;
- a good avocado is always elastic (if you press on its skin, there will be no dent left);
- A sign of a ripe avocado is a bright green stalk;
- the aroma of a ripe avocado can be felt even through the thick skin;
- If you shake an avocado and its pit makes a characteristic knock, then the fruit is fully ripe.
The shape of an avocado can be different. Some varieties have almost round fruits, others are more like a pear. Taste properties different types practically no different. Pronounced differences are present only in ripe, unripe or overripe fruits.
Popular avocado varieties
Which avocado is not worth buying?
The size of the avocado should not be taken into account when purchasing it. Some varieties of this fruit, distinguished by their rather large fruit size, have an equally impressive seed size. As a result of such a purchase, you can get much less pulp than from a small fruit. An avocado pit can be oblong or round.
Signs of an avocado that is not recommended to buy:
- if there are defects on the surface of the fruit (dents, cracks and other damage), then it is better to refuse the purchase;
- if, when pressing on the skin of an avocado, dents remain on it, then this is a sign of an overripe fruit;
- dents in the avocado may indicate the beginning of the rotting process inside the fruit;
- Only unripe fruits can have an avocado surface that is too hard;
- the brown stalk of the fruit is a sign of its overripeness;
- a yellow-green stalk can only be found in an unripe fruit;
- if the avocado does not emit a characteristic aroma, then most likely it is unripe or grown using chemicals;
- there should be no traces of sticky substances or wax on the surface of the fruit (sometimes special paraffin-based compounds are used to maintain the fruit’s presentation, which are quite problematic to wash off);
- If you shake the avocado slightly and the pit does not rattle, then the fruit is unripe.
Unripe avocados ripen at home within 4-6 days. Sometimes such fruits are specially purchased in advance if they are not planned to be eaten immediately. Fruit can only ripen at room temperature; if you put it in the refrigerator, the ripening process will not occur.
Video "How to choose an avocado"
