Thursday, May 7, 2015

Happy Avocado Thursday :-)

Florida Avocado

Photo: Avocado
Native to Mexico and Central and South America. Harvested in Florida from late-May through March. Typical size is 2 1/2 to 14 inches long. Allow to ripen at room temperature until soft. Flesh is yellow-green to yellow; creamy with slightly nutty flavor. Best eaten fresh or may be refrigerated 1-3 days. Low in fat, no cholesterol, good source of protein, potassium, iron, and vitamins C and B. Use fresh and in salads, guacamole and dips.








Finding a ripe avocado at the supermarket is hit or miss, so what can you do if you need an avocado right away? Tasting Table shared a food science tip for quickly ripening avocados with help from an unexpected source: a banana!
Ripe bananas release a lot of ethylene, the hormone that triggers ripening in mature fruit, so placing one in a closed paper bag with your under-ripe avocados will speed up the process. I tried it with a couple avocados that were just beginning to soften, and within 24 hours, they were perfectly soft and ready to eat.
Apples are another fruit that release a good amount of ethylene, so this would also work with a ripe apple.





Spinach Smoothie With Avocado and Apple


The avocado makes this smoothie creamy without any additional dairy
Recipe makes 2 servings.


Ingredients


1 1/2  cups apple juice

2 cups stemmed and chopped spinach or kale

1 apple—unpeeled, cored, and chopped

1/2 avocado, chopped

Directions

  1. Combine the apple juice, spinach, apple, and avocado in a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute, adding water to reach the desired consistency.

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