The he althy avocado can be used in many recipes. However, you can also plant the avocado seed - read more here.
Especially in recent years, the avocado has become more and more popular in our latitudes. It is now part of the standard range of every supermarket and the green fruit is also on the menu in more and more restaurants. The variety of avocado recipes is extremely large and ranges from creams to dips, salads and avocado burgers. However, what many people don't know is that you can easily use the avocado pit to grow your own avocado. You can find out how to plant the avocado seed in our cultivation instructions. Because planting avocados is not a great art, but quite easy with our tips!
Planting avocado seeds: from the seed to the plant
You can grow your own avocado plant without much magic. As already mentioned, the avocado seed is the means to the end. The instructions for planting avocado seeds are as follows:
First, of course, you need an avocado. Please do not throw the avocado stone in the organic waste, but wash it thoroughly so that there are no fruit residues left on it. Then the core is dried and four toothpicks are inserted sideways into it at equal intervals. Since a he althy root will not grow from every avocado seed, you should increase your chances: It is best to do this step with two or three seeds at once.
In the next step you need a glass with water and it becomes clear why the toothpicks were put in the core. These now serve to ensure that the lower part of the core is in the water and thus stabilizes it. The more pointed side of the avocado core should be facing up. The free tips of the toothpicks should point slightly upwards, then the core will be covered by enough water. The glass with the avocado core should be placed in the brightest possible place; change the wateryou at least every two days. After a few weeks the top of the core will begin to break open and over time a stalk, small leaflets and roots will slowly emerge from the core. Now it's still: be patient and continue to change the water regularly.
After about three months you will have a small avocado plant that will be around 15 to 20 cm tall. If a few leaves are now formed, the avocado can be planted in a pot; but do not cover the top of the core with soil. A sunny location is still essential and the small avocado plant also needs water regularly. In the tropical regions of the world, an avocado tree needs about four years to bear the first fruit. In our significantly colder climate, this takes much longer, even under the best of conditions. However, the light conditions are often simply not sufficient, which is why the tree cannot bear fruit. Nevertheless, after a very short time you have a very decorative avocado tree - and you have grown it yourself.
Tip: In the paperback "Regrow your Veggies" by Plantura co-founders Melissa Raupach and Felix Lill you will find exciting instructions for regrowing over 20 delicious types of fruit and vegetables. The book is decorated with lovingly designed illustrations and also gives you helpful tips for caring for your plants.
Origin and history of the avocado
The home of the avocado (Persea americana or also Persea gratissima) is in southern Mexico. Over time, it spread throughout Central America, where indigenous peoples have probably been using it for 10,000 years. With the conquest of the American continent, the Spaniards in particular spread the avocado to South American countries such as Chile. Later, the green fruit, which is actually a berry by botanical definition, was also brought to other tropical and subtropical regions of the world, where it still grows today.
The member of the laurel family is still cultivated in southern Spain, especially in the region around Malaga.However, the main producers of the he althy avocado are Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Indonesia and Colombia. So you can see: the avocado likes it moist and warm to produce excellent fruit. However, as already described, it is also possible here not just to throw the avocado stone in the garbage, but to let a new plant grow from it.
Ingredients and Uses of Avocado
Avocados are used in many different ways in the kitchen. Due to its full, mild, almost butter-like taste, it can be perfectly integrated into many recipes. For example, the avocado cream or dips like guacamole are very classic. There, avocados, tomatoes, onions, coriander are mixed with s alt, pepper, lemon juice and, if you like, a bit of chili. Especially with nachos, this is a real classic from Latin America. Of course, it is also possible to simply eat the avocado on bread or toast. If you wish, you can also cut them open very artfully and drape them over the bread like a fan. But the green fruit can also be enjoyed warm, for example on burgers or briefly fried. In simple green salads, the avocado can simply be sliced in or used as a component of the dressing. This makes the crunchy green taste very creamy.
Two common questions about avocados revolve around their nutrients and calories: are avocados he althy and how many of the fruits should you eat a day? First of all, yes, the avocado is extremely he althy. In particular, it contains many of the very important vegetable fats that are extremely he althy for the body. Even if many people have negative associations with the word fat: there is no need to worry about the mainly unsaturated fatty acids in avocados. Still, you shouldn't eat five avocados a day; For a he althy diet, a variety of fruit and vegetables and concentration on one variety is important. With 160 kilocalories (kcal) per 100 grams, the avocado is one of the fruits with the highest calorie content. But even that in itself is not tragic, since it makes a difference whether 160 calories of fruit and vegetables are absorbed by the body or the same amount of industrially produced fast food or the like. In addition, the he althy avocado is also rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamins A and C.
Thanks to the many unsaturated fatty acids, the avocado is also good for the skin.Avocado oil is increasingly used in the cosmetics industry due to its beneficial properties for the skin.
You can also easily create new plants from other fruits. You can read about how to plant a pineapple and plant a mango in our articles. Here you will find all information about regrowing leftover vegetables and here how to easily propagate herbs from cuttings.