If you aren’t already obsessed with avocadoes, you are in the minority. This precious fruit is full of healthy fat, fiber, potassium, and so much more. How could you not love it? But what can you do with that leftover pit once you’ve enjoyed your green treat? Read on to find out.
Grow your own avocado tree
Though it does require patience, you can actually grow an avocado tree with nothing but the pit from your grocery store avocado, a few toothpicks, and a glass of water. This project is incredibly easy and is a great way to teach your kids about propagation or just enjoy growing your own houseplant with something you’d normally throw away. Any excuse to eat an avocado, right?
- Simply clean the pit and insert three toothpicks into it to suspend the pit above a glass of water.
- Fill the glass until about 1 inch of the fat part of the pit is immersed in water.
- Refill the glass as needed to keep the bottom of the pit wet
- Place the glass in a sunny windowsill.
- You should notice a stem and roots in 2-6 weeks.
- Once the stem has grown about six inches, cut it down to three inches.
- Once the stem has leaves again, and the roots are thick, plant it in a large pot.
- Half of the seed should remain above the soil.
Keep guacamole fresh
Homemade guacamole doesn’t always store well. On the rare occasion that you don’t eat the whole batch in one sitting, simply place the guacamole in an airtight container and stick the avocado pit into the dip. This will keep the guacamole from going brown for a few days.
At-home massage
Place a few avocado pits in a large shallow tub and roll your feet over them to relieve tension and reduce soreness. This self-massage is a great way to look after your feet if you stand a lot or experience any foot pain. You can also create your own at-home spa by warming up the pits and using them as you would hot stones. Simply roll them gently along your partner’s back for a romantic massage.
Pale dye
Plain, unbleached cotton or linen will turn a beautiful pale, pink color when boiled with avocado pits.
- Soak your fabric overnight in warm water and a dollop of gentle fabric soap, this will help prepare the fabric to accept the dye.
- Rinse the fabric well and keep damp until you are ready to place in the pot.
- In a large pot on the stove, add your fabric and enough water to cover everything and allow for movement.
- Rinse avocado pits to remove any lingering residue and add to the pot. A good place to start is about 3-5 pits per ½ lb of fabric.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and reduce to low.
- Simmer, uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until you notice the water starting to change to a deep maroon color.
- Remove from heat and allow the fabric to steep overnight. This step can be adjusted depending on how vibrant you wish the color to be. If you want a more subtle pink shade, soak the fabric for about two hours.
- Rinse in warm water with a gentle fabric soap followed by cool water and hang to dry.
Face scrub
Create a moisturizing, exfoliating face scrub with a dried avocado pit. This scrub is excellent for the environment (no harmful microbeads) and can help clean clogged pores and remove dirt and impurities from your face. Grind up a one dried avocado pit in your food processor and stir in one mashed banana and 1 Tbsp of coconut oil. Apply to skin in a circular motion and rinse with warm water.
Make a powder
Avocado powder can be used for many things, including smoothies, dressings, salads, baking, soups, sauces, and even tea. Figuring out how to make avocado pit powder can seem a little tricky at first, but it’s not as difficult as you might think. Wash however many pits you wish to dry and leave them in a sunny windowsill for at least three days. Once they are dry, transfer the pits to a large Ziploc bag and crush with a hammer. It is best to do this outside to avoid accidentally damaging your counter. You can also use a rolling pin, but it may be a little more difficult. Once the pits are broken up into relatively small pieces, transfer them to a food processor and pulverize into a fine powder.
Compost
If you don’t want to get creative, toss your avocado pits and skins into your compost bin instead of throwing them in the trash.
How do you like to use avocado pits? Let us know in the comments below!
-Taylor Ramsey
