Avocado Oil

Avocado Oil is produced from avocados that aren't quite good looking enough to be sold whole, which is to say, avocados which are damaged or just didn't look appealing enough. The fruit is dehydrated, sliced thinly then pressed. The oil is extracted by cold-pressing, just as good olive oil is.

Extra Virgin Avocado Oil (First Press Avocado Oil)

The Extra Virgin/first press is sold as unrefined. As the name Extra Virgin would imply, it is cold-pressed. It has a darkish green, slightly tawny colour and a slight avocado aroma. You can use it as you would olive oil. It takes about 30 avocados to make 8 oz (250ml) of this avocado oil.

Refined Avocado Oil

The refined Avocado Oil is a yellowy-colour, with only a faint aroma to it. While it's not as tasty as the unrefined, it does have one advantage: the refined Avocado Oil has a high smoke-fat of 520 F (271 C), so it is good for roasting vegetables in.

Clear Avocado Oil

There is also a clear Avocado Oil, which is bleached.

Cooking Tips for Avocado Oil

This is a great oil to brush on meats before grilling or barbequing. You can also use it as a dipping oil for bread. It can also be used in combination with another oil in making a salad dressing, or straight up as a condiment.

Nutrition for Avocado Oil

Rich in vitamin E and monounsaturated fat.

Literature & Lore about Avocado Oil

"A California food processor with a luxurious turn of mind is using the oil of the avocado to produce a French dressing on sale in the fine food stores of the larger cities. The maker is The Ard Company, 206 North Belmont Street, Glendale, California. The avocado oil, light-bodied, golden, is cold-pressed as is the finest oil of the olive. This is blended with a wine vinegar, aged in the wood and sweetened with honey, mildly seasoned with freshly ground spices—a dressing tasting homemade. The avocado oil has no taste of the fruit, it is nut-sweet in flavor, an oil as easily digested as butter and even more costly."

-- Paddleford, Clementine (1898 - 1967). Food Flashes Column. Gourmet Magazine. October 1945.

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Also called:

Huile d'avocat (French); Avocadoöl (German); Aceite de aguacate (Spanish)