Answers to the avo questions we’re asked the most
Frequent Avocado Questions (FAQs)
How do you ripen avocados?
The best way to ripen avocados is in a fruit bowl. Leave them at room temperature, out of direct sunlight and let nature do its work. If you want to get fancy and ripen an avocado quickly you can put one in a paper bag with an apple or a banana, which will speed things up. We don’ recommend any other technique as it will mess with the flavour.
Are there carbs in avocado?
Yes – though not much. One of our large (233g) avocados would have about 20g of carbohydrates, of which about 16g is fibre and about 1.5g is sugars. To put it a different way, that’s about a third of a teaspoon of natural sugars in a large avo – which is part of why they’re considered such a healthy food.
How do you make guacamole?
We make guacamole on the orchard by mashing an avo with fresh lime juice and salt. It’s that simple (we like keeping things simple), but if you want some more adventurous options, we’ve collected the best guacamole recipes in New Zealand over on our blog.
Can you freeze avocados?
Not really, no. Again the internet is full of tips on how to do this, but the short answer is that defrosted avocado has an odd texture and taste. Freezing avocado for baby food is fine, but otherwise, just buy fresh, right?
Can dogs eat avocado?
Yes! Dogs love avocado and they’re just as good for pooches as they are for people. All the orchard dogs around here have silly contented grins from eating as much avocado as they like.
Can your ripen avocados in the microwave?
No! Just no. Forget those YouTube videos and shonky ‘hacks’ and keep your avocados out of the microwave. Please.
How many calories in half an avocado?
Half a large avocado has about 185 calories in it according to the US govt website FoodData Central. Half of one of our small avocados has about 120 calories.
Is there protein in avocado?
Yes – though not much. One of our large avocados would have about 4.6g of protein, according to the US govt website FoodData Central.
Are avocados a fruit or a vegetable?
Avocados are a fruit. They’re sometimes thought of as a vegetable due to their beautiful green colour and creamy taste.
Are avocados low FODMAP?
Not really. FODMAP sites say you can have about two tablespoons of avocado per meal and still maintain a low-FODMAP diet.