We love avocados. They are the perfect pop of colour for our brunch snaps, and even though they are likely the reason we can’t afford a mortgage, we can’t get enough.
But every avocado seems to produce quite a lot of waste. All that skin just chucked in the bin – and the giant stone.
It feels like a waste, and we don’t like waste.
Luckily, food waste expert and Oddbox co-founder Emilie Vanpoperinghe has revealed six clever hacks to ensure that no avocado is ever wasted again.
From teas to smoothies to even your Sunday evening bath, there are plenty of ways to make use of your avocado stone and skin. So start making notes.
Regrow an avocado plant
You can regrow your avocado seed into a beautiful avocado plant. To do so, you will need three toothpicks, a glass of water and a window sill.
Pierce the avocado stone with the toothpicks so that you can hover it on the rim of the glass with the bottom root end submerged in the water. Place on a sunlit window sill.
You will see the roots and stem start to sprout in just a few weeks. When the stem grows to about 15cm, cut it back a little, and allow it to regrow again.
Once it reaches 15cm again, that’s the time to plant it in nutrient-rich soil to grow into a fully fledged plant.
Drink avocado tea
If smoothies aren’t your thing, make the most of your avocado stone by boiling it up into tea. It’s also said to aid digestion.
Place the stone in a small pan of water, then bring it to a boil for five minutes until softened.
Chop it finely, then add to your teapot and leave to infuse in boiling water for five minutes. Strain into your cup and enjoy with a little honey, if you like.
Make avocado powder
Dehydrate the avocado stone in a low oven for a couple of hours or leave on a sunlit window sill for a day or two.
Once dried, blitz in a food processor or place in a bag and bash with a rolling pin, then blend.
Use it in smoothies, to bake bread or on your salads.
Blitz the stone into smoothies
The avocado stone is said to contain fatty acids, dietary fiber, as well as a small amount of protein while some tests show that it also contains antioxidants and can help to reduce blood pressure.
Make the most of it and put it into a smoothie: split the stone in two with a heavy knife, then place in your blender with the rest of your smoothie ingredients.
Avocado stones are bitter, so it’s best to pair its potent flavour with other strong flavours; try a coconut chocolate smoothie or a sweet mango and pear concoction.
Avocado skins into plant pots
Pack your avocado skins with compost and use them to plant seedlings.
Their natural shape makes for perfectly sized, windowsill pots to grow other veggies and plants from seed.
Throw the peel into your bath
For luxuriously soft skin, throw your peels straight into your bath, then turn them inside out and rub all that leftover flesh full of gorgeous avocado oil, all over your skin.
Avocado oil contains antioxidants and vitamins, including vitamins C and E which helps to moisturise our skin and improve elasticity – bonus.
Do you have any clever food hacks to share? We want to hear from you.
Get in touch: [email protected].
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