Kenya cold pressed extra virgin avocado oil is the highest quality you will ever buy.
Avocados have very high oil content with the flesh of an avocado fruit normally containing as much as 30% oil. The skin and the seed don’t contain as much oil though.
Avocado oil is obtained from the fruit of the pulp of the avocado. That may sound very straightforward but there are different types of avocado oils that are differentiated not by the type of avocado that’s used, but by the process that’s used to extract the oil. There are two main types of oils that can be extracted from avocados: refined and extra-virgin oil.
Extra virgin avocado oil is unrefined and it is the highest quality you will ever buy. Unlike refined oils, extra virgin oil has a lot of flavor and aroma. It has all the important anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories that refined oils lack. It’s also considered unrefined because it’s not altered by temperature or treated with chemicals.
Production Process of Kenya Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
Extracting oil from avocados is done in five stages: Fruit washing, de-stoning and de-skinning, mash preparation, thermal conditioning and oil extraction and purification.
- Fruit Washing
The avocados are washed in two stages. First, they are immersed in water to remove dust from the surface. Then they are washed a second time by showering them using a jet system.
- De-stoning and De-skinning
The fruit is taken to a de-stoning machine where 90% of the skin and pips are separated from the pulp. The degree to which the skin is separated from the pulp depends entirely on the quality that you are going for. Keep in mind that the amount of skin that’s processed into the mash will affect the composition and color of the avocado oil.
- Mash Preparation
The pulp is pumped into a disc crusher, which rotates at 1400 rpm (rotations per minute). The mash is then conveyed at the center and sprayed towards the periphery by a toothed disc.
- Thermal Conditioning and Kneading
The avocado mash is then pumped into kneading machines where it is stirred slowly and continuously at a monitored temperature. The kneading process causes small oil drops to be released. The small oil drops then merge into bigger drops that can easily be separated by a process known as centrifugal extraction.
- Oil Extraction and Purification
Inside the centrifuge system, the mash is separated into solids, vegetation water and oil. A decanter centrifuge is used to separate the oil from the solid and liquid phases. The cold pressed avocado oil flowing from the decanter will have some degree of water and solids. It will be sent to a vertical centrifuge where residual water and solids are removed.
Advantages of Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
Cooking
Extra virgin avocado oil has a high smoke point of 2040C. This means that it doesn’t burn at a very low temperature. So you can use it to cook anything from stir-fried vegetables to sautéing fish. It can also be used to bake and it works great as a salad dressing.
And, unlike other extra virgin oils like olive oil, avocado oil does not have a pungent smell when used for cooking. In fact, it produces a rich lingering taste. These specific qualities of avocado oil make it extremely adaptable in the kitchen.
It’s Good for The Heart
Avocado oil is rich in bet-sitosterol, a type of cholesterol that our bodies use to convert unhealthy fats into a form that’s less harmful and more useable to our bodies. It’s anti-inflammatory properties lower the risk of heart disease by preventing arterial walls from inflammation. The less inflamed our arteries are, the lesser our chances ar of suffering from a heart attack.
It’s Great for Weight Loss
Avocado oil has a high concentration of oleic acid, which can help you lose weight when combined with regular exercise and a healthy diet. Also, due to its thick and powerful nutrients, avocado oil will make you feel full faster and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Acts as a Detox
Avocado oil has chlorophyll. This is a natural form of magnesium known for removing heavy metals like lead and mercury from the brain, kidneys, liver and other organs.
It’s Good for The Skin
Avocado oil is rich in vitamins and minerals that moisturize and boost the skin’s ability to generate stronger cells. The oil contains Vitamin E, lecithin and potassium, all of which are easily absorbed through the outer layer of the skin and into the dermis.
Popular Trends Emerging With Use of Avocado Oil
Although extra virgin avocado oil isn’t as ubiquitous as coconut oil yet, a lot of well-known personalities seem to like it.
For instance, Oscar-winning actress and one of the most beautiful women in the world, Lupita Nyong’o, admitted to using avocado oil on her skin and hair.
Renee Rouleau, a celebrity esthetician, recommends avocado oil for moisturizing and hydrating the skin. In fact, she prefers its hydrating qualities to that of coconut oil.
Ciprianna Quann and Nikisha Brunson are well-known naturalistas who run a very popular site dedicated to natural hair lifestyle. On their website, urbanbushbabes.com, Brunson recommends using avocado oil as both a deep conditioner and as a leave-in treatment for natural hair. Quann also comments about how the oil leaves her hair soft and shiny.
Kenyans Too Love Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
Kenyans are embracing the need to live a healthy lifestyle. They prefer to cook their food using oils that contain very few calories. Avocado oil is known to have a low calorie content and it’s great for cooking, which explains why it is slowly gaining popularity in Kenya.
However, in order to get high quality Kenya avocado oil, it needs to be extracted from avocados grown in pristine conditions. Mt. Kenya Fresh Avocados is one of Africa’s leading producers of high quality Kenya avocado oil. This is exceptional, high quality cold-pressed avocado oil.
How Production of Kenya Avocado Oil Impacts Smallholder Farmers
MT Kenya Avocado Farms sources majority of its fruits from smallholder farmers who in are now enjoying improved earnings thanks to the fair prices paid by the company when purchasing quality avocados. The company is constanty identifying new markets and partners to bring to fruition the dream of steady supply of high quality avocado oil to the world.