Avocado oil is an

edible oil Cooking oil is plant, animal, or synthetic liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. It is also used in food preparation and flavoring not involving heat, such as salad dressings and bread dips, and may be called edible oil ...

extracted from the pulp of

avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for ...

s, the fruit of ''Persea americana''. It is used as an edible oil both raw and for cooking, where it is noted for its high smoke point. It is also used for lubrication and in

cosmetics Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protec ...

. Avocado oil has an unusually high smoke point: for unrefined oil and for refined. The exact smoke point depends heavily on the quality of refinement and the way the oil is stored.

Uses

Avocado oil functions well as a carrier oil for other flavors. It is high in

monounsaturated fat Monounsaturated fats are fatty acids that have one double bond in the fatty acid chain with all of the remainder carbon atoms being single-bonded. By contrast, polyunsaturated fats have more than one double bond. Molecular description Fatty acid ...

s and

vitamin E Vitamin E is a group of eight fat soluble compounds that include four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E deficiency, which is rare and usually due to an underlying problem with digesting dietary fat rather than from a diet low in vi ...

, and also enhances the absorption of

carotenoid Carotenoids (), also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, ...

s and other nutrients. Following drying of the avocado flesh to remove as much water as possible (the flesh is about 65% water), oil for

is usually extracted with

solvent A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...

s at elevated temperatures. After extraction, it is usually refined, bleached, and deodorized, resulting in an odorless yellow oil. Edible cold-pressed avocado oil is generally unrefined, like extra virgin olive oil, so it retains the flavor and color characteristics of the fruit flesh.

Quality

A study performed at the

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The inst ...

in 2020 determined that a majority of the domestic and imported avocado oil sold in the US is rancid before its expiration date or is adulterated with other oils. In some cases, the researchers found that bottles labeled as “pure” or “extra virgin” avocado oil contained nearly 100%

soybean oil Soybean oil (British English: soyabean oil) is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean (''Glycine max''). It is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils and the second most consumed vegetable oil. As a drying oil, processe ...

Properties

Avocado oil is one of few edible oils not derived from seeds; it is pressed from the fleshy pulp surrounding the avocado pit. Unrefined avocado oil from the 'Hass' cultivar has a characteristic flavor, is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, and has a high smoke point (≥), making it a good oil for frying. 'Hass' cold-pressed avocado oil is a brilliant emerald green when extracted; the color is attributed to high levels of chlorophylls and carotenoids; it has been described as having an avocado flavor, with grassy and butter/mushroom-like flavors. Other varieties may produce oils of slightly different flavor profile; 'Fuerte' has been described as having more mushroom and less avocado flavor. Avocado oil has a similar monounsaturated fat profile to olive oil. Avocado oil is naturally low acidic, helping to increase smoke point. Unrefined avocado oil can be safely heated to . Both unrefined and refined avocado oil can safely be used for almost any high-heat cooking, including baking, stir-frying, deep-frying, searing, barbecuing, roasting, and sauteing. Like all oils, the more refined, the higher the smoke point. Each 30 mL of avocado oil contains 3.6 mg of

Vitamin E Vitamin E is a group of eight fat soluble compounds that include four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E deficiency, which is rare and usually due to an underlying problem with digesting dietary fat rather than from a diet low in vi ...

and 146.1 mg of

beta-sitosterol β-sitosterol (beta-sitosterol) is one of several phytosterols (plant sterols) with chemical structures similar to that of cholesterol. It is a white, waxy powder with a characteristic odor, and is one of the components of the food additive E499 ...

. The following table provides information about the composition of avocado oil and how it compares with other vegetable oils.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avocado Oil Avocado dishes Vegetable oils

Uses

Quality

Properties

See also

References