Today our topic of discussion is Avocado flavoring. Avocado is a large pear shaped fruit with rough leathery skin of green color containing one large seed. This is an unusual fruit in a way that it may be left on the tree until required as so softening occurs until the stem is broken. Persea Americana Mill (avocado) is native to Central America. It is cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates around the world. It belongs to the family of Lauracea. It is a popular fruit, good source of potassium and vitamin D. it is consumed by humans because of its organoleptic characteristics. Furthermore the pulp of this fruit contains 33% oil that is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. This fruit is used in number of recipes for flavoring, extracts of parts of the fruit are are used for many purposes as well.
Avocado flavoring can be used in number of recipes. Leaves of avocado are harvested from the native Mexican Percesea drymiifolia. These leaves can be used both fresh and dried in the cuisine of the south central part of Mexico. Fresh and toasted avocado leaves are used in Oaxaca Peubala as a bed for barbecuing meats as well as a flavoring for tamales (traditional dish). They are also added in black beans, moles and pipianes, wrapped around fish, chicken and meat when grilling. Dried leaves of avocado are available frequently in the US. They can be used for flavoring stews and soups and also in the bean recipes. Bay leaves can be used as a substitute but th
ey do not resemble to the anise flavored avocado leaves. A combination of bay leaves and cracked anise seed is suggested as a substitute for avocado leaves by Rick Bayless. Various articles have reported toxicity found in avocado leaves. As reported by Victoria Challancin in an article about avocado leaves: “A secret Mexican Ingredient” that recipe tasted was having exotic flavor of avocado leaves that was giving an anise flavor of black beans coming from the addition of avocado leaves. This was an amazing recipe with an exotic flavor for avocado leaves as this recipe has created love at first bite.
Avocado leaves are toasted in a hot dry skillet or heated Comal, by pressing lightly with a spatula. Tongs can also be used for passing them over a flame for about 10 seconds. Toasting leaves can heat up the natural oils in the leaves and bring out licorice flavor.
Avocado Flavoring Extract
Avocado extract can be generally used to improve the softness and radiance of skin. Avocado extract is also considered helpful with dry hair and scalp. This pulp of fruit is topically to promote hair growth and speed the wound healing. This extract is oil based additive used in masks for face, can be added in soaps, balms, salves, lotion and hair care products and recipes. Ingredients used in avocado extract are Water, Glycerin, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, and Sodium Benzoate.
Method that is used for extracting avocado oil through cooking is as follows.
Avocadoes are peeled washed and each one is cut half around its pit.
Avocadoes are puree
Avocadoes are cooked at medium heat
They are cooked until mixture gets dark
Avocado mixture is poured into a bowl
It is squeezed in order to strain the avocado
Oil is then poured into a container
Avocado oil is known as potentially valuable product. This oil is generally used in combination with vitamin B12 for a skin condition called psoriasis. It can be directly applied on the skin for soothing and healing skin and for treating thickening of the skin (sclerosis), gum infections (pyorrhea) and arthritis. Arthritis is problem common in western countries. Arthritis is of many types, one of the chronic problem people have for the rest of their lives. Oil of avocado extract seems appropriate to replace saturated fats, in order to lower total cholesterol and LDL plasma level and it could be a good alimentary atherosclerosis.
According to multiple studies it was shown that extracts from avocado and soybean oil, known as Avocado and Soybean unsaponifiables can be helpful to reduce the symptoms of arthritis of the bones called osteoarthritis. This combination is thought to exert anti-inflammatory and stimulatory effects in chondrocytes.
The working of avocado extract works because avocado contains fiber and this may explain its ability to lower cholesterol. It also contains chemicals that might help in repairing cartilage in joints damaged by osteoarthritis. Other parts of this fruit including bark, leaves and seeds are used to relieve toothache. These three parts are also used in making medicine.
Avocado extract is known as natural born killer. According to the study reported in Seminars in Cancer Biology says that avocadoes can wipe out the oral cancer. Avocado extract was applied by the researcher to both normal and pre-cancerous oral cells. The avocado extract caused the precancerous cells to die but did not harm the normal function of normal cells. Researcher Steven D’Ambrosio, Ph.D says that phytonutrients may be responsible. Phytonutrients are the compounds that give fruit and veggies their color. About 41,000 American are prone and diagnosed with oral cancer annually. It is said that the sandwich spread with mashed half avocado and low fat cream offers cancer crushing benefits without blowing the person’s diet.
As mentioned by Ramos et al. 2004, avocado seed extract is an ethanolic extract obtained through sox let reflux equipment and evaporated on a rotatory evaporator. Seeds are first dried at 40 degree centigrade vacuum package until use. Dried seeds of avocado are then ground to powder in a laboratory mill, defatted with petrol ether. They are macerated with freshly distilled ethanol until exhaustion after filtration in this process; extract is concentrated under vacuum at 35 degree centigrade. The seed of avocado is discarded in majority of countries, although in some of the countries such as Niger, it is consumed. This waste may be representation of ecological or human containment.
Avocado Extract Powder
Avocado powder preserves all of the avocado’s nutrition with same great taste, smell color texture, vitamins and minerals as of the original fruit. It does not require refrigerating before opening for use. This avocado powder can instantly be reconverted into avocado pulp just by adding cold water in it. Avocado extract powder is a novel product which enables the avocado to be preserved for an extended period of time at ambient temperature such as to conserve the characteristics properties of the product. This happens with an additional advantage of being 100% natural and occupying less physical storage space, thereby eliminating the post processing cold chain. A series of operations or steps are used in the method of obtaining avocado powder that terminate in the pulverization and packing of the end product.