Slideshow: Innovation around avocados is gaining traction
Chicago – Temecula was the ideal place for Scott Wibbenmeyer and Sharon Colona, who relocated to California in 2017 after living in St. Louis. The property does come with an avocado orchard with over 500 trees, but that is the only drawback.
Persea americana, the avocado tree, thrives well in tropical areas that are wet and have well-draining soil. In terms of botany, the avocado fruit is a huge berry with a single enormous seed. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) corporate statistical database, 2,184,663 tonnes of avocados were grown in Mexico in 2018, accounting for around a third of the global supply. In terms of output, the United States came in ninth place with 168,528 tonnes produced in 2018. California is the state where the majority of avocados grown in the US come from. Florida and Hawaii furthermore contain a few groves.
“We turned into avocado growers,” Ms. Colona declared. “I dedicated a considerable amount of time to learning as much as I could about avocado plantations and their upkeep. We would carry out this task correctly if we were going to undertake it.
Ms. Colona came onto an article about avocado leaf tea’s health advantages while doing research. She dug deeper into the subject as her curiosity overcame her.
Researchers are discovering that, despite the avocado’s reputation as a superfruit with a host of health advantages, the leaves of the avocado tree may actually offer the most health benefits. Folklore claims that it has been used medicinally for thousands of years, and it has proved effective in treating kidney stones and the common cold.
“I harvested more leaves than avocados on my very next visit to our grove, and I made the decision to test this magical tea. If it’s really that good, I figured it must taste awful. It turns out to be among the greatest teas I’ve ever had. The natural flavour has a smooth finish and an earthy, rustic flavour. The scent is similar to an avocado grove’s bouquet.
For the next few months, the pair worked with testing facilities and tea producers. They sought to make sure that the avocado leaves’ natural qualities were preserved during the harvesting, preserving, and grinding processes.
“We have patented the ideal method for producing delectable tea,” Mr. Wibbenmeyer stated. “A hundred percent all Avocado leaf nutrients and flavour are preserved in a single-serve pyramid bag that is natural and biodegradable, making preparation simple.
There are other people who would like to utilise the avocado tree and its fruit more than only these growers. The fruit’s big seed serves a purpose as well.
“Our goal is to alter people’s perspective on resources,” stated Sheetal Bahirat, CEO of Hidden Gems, a Philadelphia-based beverage startup established by two culinary scientists who were driven to transform repurposed products into healthier beverages. “Our mission is to find the hidden value in food that people would normally consider trash and turn it into beautiful, environmentally safe, and socially responsible upcycled products.”
Reveal, a ready-to-drink beverage derived from avocado seeds, is the first innovation. It has 15 calories and apple cider vinegar probiotics. It has three times as many antioxidants as kombucha. Mango ginger, rose mint, and grapefruit lavender are the flavours available for the non-carbonated drinks. For a 12-oz bottle, the suggested retail price is $3.79.
“We were astounded one day, when preparing guacamole, by the quantity of “waste” generated throughout the procedure, according to Chief Operating Officer Zuri Masud. “We were shocked to learn that the US discards 15 million pounds of avocados every week and that over half of the antioxidants in avocados are found in the seed. These diamonds, we determined, were no longer rubbish.
“We created a proprietary method that guarantees the seeds decompose and obtains the highest amount of nutrients. We provide the advantages of two avocado seeds per bottle by brewing them and creating a delicious beverage.
The US Department of Agriculture-certified Rutgers Food Innovation Centre in Bridgeton, New Jersey is where the firm is now producing Reveal. Up to 15,000 bottles can be produced there each day.
There’s the real fruit, beyond the leaves and the seeds. It tastes great either on its own or as the main ingredient in guacamole because of its rich, buttery flavour and creamy green flesh.
Because avocados have more fat than any other fruit or vegetable, innovators are investigating the potential uses of avocado oil. This is because the majority of the fat in them is monounsaturated Avocados provide “healthy fats” since they are high in fatty acids and low in cholesterol.
An increasing number of businesses are producing 100% pure avocado oil by extracting the oil from the fruit. Due to its high smoke point and neutral flavour, the cooking oil and condiment are well-suited for flame grilling and high heat sautéing. Additionally, spreads and dressings are made with that oil.
According to Avocajoe Brands Inc., Las Vegas, avocado oil contains over 70% oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid that has many health advantages, including improving brain function, encouraging fat burning, decreasing cholesterol, and aiding skin restoration. The company creates Avocajoe, the next-generation butter coffee, with avocado oil.
“Our final formula is the product of years of development and testing,” Avocajoe Brands CEO and founder Clint Bondzuk stated. “We’ve mastered butter without dairy.” coffee and gave it a fantastic flavour.
The 11.1-oz shelf-stable packets of the vegan beverage contain 12 grammes of fat derived from avocados each carton. Because monk fruit extract is used to organically sweeten the beverage, it is also sugar-free.
Avocados are becoming puffed, salty snacks thanks to the creative minds at The Naked Market in San Francisco. The new AvoCrazy puffs are non-GMO, vegan, and free of gluten. Avocado pulp, avocado oil, and avocado powder are used in their creation.
“Aside from avocado toast and in salads, there hasn’t been much innovation in how we enjoy avocados,” stated Harrison Fugman, CEO. “Avocados are one of America’s favourite foods.”
That is evolving.