In the last few years, avocados have been popping up everywhere in healthy recipes, food blogs and on health websites.
Although it has a multiple of uses, the only downside of the fruit is that it tends to get mushy, brown, and unappealing shortly after being cut. So how do you keep avocados fresh?
Luckily, there’s a quick and easy trick to keep your avocados fresh to use in future recipes.
Why Eat More Avocado?
As tasty as they are nutritious, avocados are a major source of healthy nutrients, including (1):
- Fiber
- Potassium
- Vitamin E
- B-vitamins
- Folic Acid
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Sodium
- Iron
- Vitamin A
And that’s just the beginning of their health benefits!
How Avocadoes Fight Cancer
Glutathione is a master antioxidant found in avocados that effectively detoxify the body and protect the cells from oxidative stress, Avocadoes are also a source of oleic acid, which fight unhealthy plaque-forming cholesterol (2).
Eating a diet rich in oleic acid can even lower your risk of developing breast cancer, according to Michelle Smekens, N.D, FABNO, Naturopathic oncology provider at Cancer treatment centers of America’s Midwestern Regional Medical Center (3).
Recent research has also found that the molecules found in avocados could actually hold the power to treat specific forms of Leukemia. In fact, researchers have even filed a patent application for use of avocation B, a compound found in avocados, to develop drugs that combats acute myeloid leukemia (4).
The healthy fats found in avocados also aid in keeping neurological cell membranes flexible.
Studies published in the October 2012 edition of The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology states that monounsaturated fatty acids actually protect nerve cells in the brain known as astrocytes, which support information-carrying cells (5).
How To Keep Avocados Fresh
When Avocados are cut, they quickly brown due to oxidization.
An enzyme known as polyphenol oxidase is the cause of this phenomenon that makes avocados difficult to store.
To prevent browning, all you need is some fresh cut avocado, a red onion and an air tight container (6).
- Start by slicing red onion into large pieces and place at the bottom of your container.
- Add half an avocado, cut lengthwise, skin-side down over the onion. This will prevent your avocado from absorbing the onion flavor.
- The gasses released by the onion will prevent the avocado from oxidizing for 5-7 days.