EXTRA VIRGIN AVOCADO OIL and HANDCRAFTED SOAP GIVEAWAY!
August 16, 2025
If
I'd been blindfolded on my 30 minute trip to Bella Vado Orchards and
taken inside to meet the da Silva family, see the oil extracting
machinery and the beautiful oil pouring out into the vat, I would've
sworn I was hit on the head and slept all the way to Italy! I'd be
eager to taste the beautiful Olive Oil being cold-pressed right in front of
me! BUT....that wasn't the case...after all, I AM a California Country
Gal, right!?
And...California
is known for it's acres and acres of delectable, super nutritious
Avocados! I was not blindfolded and I knew exactly (well, almost) where
we were headed to: a little Valley between Temecula (my town) and San Diego. Nestled amongst the many organic farms, which grow everything from produce to citrus to happy cows and Lavender, lies the Bella Vado Family Orchard of Hass Avocado Trees!
Adding to the ambiance was our stop for lunch at the unique and artisan Yellow Deli restaurant down the road, (literally in the middle of nowheresville) run by the nearby Messianic Commune which homesteads many happy, healthy families and their organic farm.
Adding to the ambiance was our stop for lunch at the unique and artisan Yellow Deli restaurant down the road, (literally in the middle of nowheresville) run by the nearby Messianic Commune which homesteads many happy, healthy families and their organic farm.
At Bella Vado, (who's meaning to the family is beautiful/avocado/family), I was witness to a very special method of cold-pressed Avocado Oil
extraction, similar to the method used for pressing Olive Oil, devised
by Grampa Chet da Silva himself! I
was also tasting some of the most delightful culinary oil that had ever
crossed my yips! I mean lips (but we call them yips because that's how
our baby niece used to say it :)
I wasn't a stranger to this oil, as I have been buying it from my local Farmer's Market for some time now, but I finally told myself to get my butt out there to the Orchard and say "Hey! I Loooove your oil! It and You should be famous by now! We have to tell Oprah about you!"
I wasn't a stranger to this oil, as I have been buying it from my local Farmer's Market for some time now, but I finally told myself to get my butt out there to the Orchard and say "Hey! I Loooove your oil! It and You should be famous by now! We have to tell Oprah about you!"
But
they were all very humble and just chuckled at me a bit. Seriously,
when I finish telling you WHY you should be using Avocado Oil, you will
be wanting to go directly to their website
and order, because you just
won't believe all the good benefits and delightful taste it has! This
Cold-pressed, Extra-Virgin Avocado Oil is truly an oil of the Gods that
is soon to have its time to shine!
Let me just start with this... When I saute, my choice is Cold-pressed Avocado Oil (as in beautifully green and fruity) which has a smoke point of 480 degrees Fahrenheit! Refined it's well over 500 degrees, but with a smoke point of 480, who wants to buy the refined anyhow? Yuck! Virgin Avocado Oil is even more amazing used for dipping, drizzling and salad dressings...so it's really a versatile, all purpose oil, every bit as interesting as the very best Olive Oil!
Let me just start with this... When I saute, my choice is Cold-pressed Avocado Oil (as in beautifully green and fruity) which has a smoke point of 480 degrees Fahrenheit! Refined it's well over 500 degrees, but with a smoke point of 480, who wants to buy the refined anyhow? Yuck! Virgin Avocado Oil is even more amazing used for dipping, drizzling and salad dressings...so it's really a versatile, all purpose oil, every bit as interesting as the very best Olive Oil!
Animal
came along as my date for the day and we were met by Charissa da Silva,
who was a lovely tour guide with the most beautiful skin! Could it be
because she uses so much Avocado Oil???? Avocado Oil has long been an
ingredient in high quality skincare products for it's wonderful ability
to absorb and penetrate and contribute so much nutritional value to the
skin. It even has a natural SPF of between 9-14%!
Charissa's
brother, Stefano, was hard at work at the press as I watched in admiration of
the three generations that live and work on this piece of land
everyday! I truly felt as though I was back in the 'old country' (I
don't know what I'm talking about here really because I've never
actually been to the 'old country', but I should've been, so that was
exactly how I felt! Do you know what I'm trying to say here?)
Alessandro,
Charissa's oldest brother, was also in the middle of work, but was kind
enough to let me snap a quick shot. Watching them work together had me
in awe, because I can barely get our whole family around a dinner table
once a week! The youngest brother, Giordano was gone when we visited (he was
probably picking up sandwiches or doing some other nice thing for his family)!
This Avocado 'waste' (pit and skin) is used for
fertilizer, mulch and animal feed.
Unlike
Olive Oil, the Avocado pits are discarded prior to pressing. I learned that this is
one reason why it's taste is so deliciously pure and sweet. Sometimes
Olive Oil can have a slight bitterness because the pits are pressed with
the meat of the Olive.
Avocado Oil has a similar fatty acid profile to that of Olive Oil. It is classified as a monounsaturated fat because it's high in oleic and palmitoleic acids (76%). It is 12 % polyunsaturates (linoleic and linolenic acids) with 12% saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic acids). It contains anti-oxidants such as chlorophyll and carotenoids.
Avocado Oil has a similar fatty acid profile to that of Olive Oil. It is classified as a monounsaturated fat because it's high in oleic and palmitoleic acids (76%). It is 12 % polyunsaturates (linoleic and linolenic acids) with 12% saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic acids). It contains anti-oxidants such as chlorophyll and carotenoids.
Avocado
Oil's phytosterols help lower LDL levels in the blood and it's fatty acid make up is
beneficial, in that it protects cholesterol. It's not the cholesterol,
but the damaged, oxidized cholesterol that can increase plaque and heart
disease. That's why all the oils that are damaged during
processing or with cooking can cause health problems!
Replacing your sugar and carbohydrate intake with good, healthy fats will help you lose that weight around your middle too! Your body will use healthy fats for energy, but if you're eating too many simple carbs and sugar, your body will store the excess as fat! And those extra carbs go to visceral fat around the mid-section and increase inflammatory factors in your body, so...eat more good Fats and less Simple Carbs!
Replacing your sugar and carbohydrate intake with good, healthy fats will help you lose that weight around your middle too! Your body will use healthy fats for energy, but if you're eating too many simple carbs and sugar, your body will store the excess as fat! And those extra carbs go to visceral fat around the mid-section and increase inflammatory factors in your body, so...eat more good Fats and less Simple Carbs!
Sabrina is the master presser at Bella Vado and was nice enough to offer us a scrumptious
taste test! This oil tastes like what I would imagine sunshine would
taste like!
Bella Vado's Oil is Extra Virgin, pressed with only prime Avocados which produces a beautiful, green hued oil with magnificent taste. Other, Virgin Oils have a more yellow color, often using some less-than-desirable fruit.
Bella Vado's Oil is Extra Virgin, pressed with only prime Avocados which produces a beautiful, green hued oil with magnificent taste. Other, Virgin Oils have a more yellow color, often using some less-than-desirable fruit.
The
smoke point of an oil, which I mentioned earlier, refers to the
temperature at which an oil begins to
breakdown and turn into ravaging, oxidizing free-radicals, or LOPs
(lipid oxidation products). These nasty things destroy our bodies on a
cellular level! They break down your collagen that gives us youthful
skin and joints and oxidize our healthy cholesterol, making it sticky
and
creating plaque. It can attack the lens of the eyes (causing
cataracts) and even your DNA, causing mutations.
I don't do a whole lotta high heat frying around here, and when I do I use saturated, stable fats like Clarified Butter, Ghee, Palm, Coconut Oil or Lard (yes,sometimes!) Here's why: At this time, it is my understanding that it is not just the smoke point that needs to be considered when choosing an oil for high heat frying, but its fatty acid composition should be considered as well. The saturated fats contain all the hydrogen bonds they can hold in their chemical make up. You can see this in their solid or semi-solid state at room temperature. The monosaturated fats contain one double carbon bond thus, are less stable (they are semi-liquid even in cold temperatures) and more prone to oxidation through things like light and heat. However, while the monosaturates only contain one link, the polyunsaturates, such as Corn, Canola, Cottonseed and Soybean Oil (used in all our premade/fast 'foods') contain two or more double bonds and are the main fats responsible for this damage to our bodies. www.westonaprice.org/faq/faq-fats-and-oils
Now do you understand why I fry very little and only use stable, saturated fats when I do? But for salads and veggies and lower heat frying and sauteing... this Avocado Oil is my choice!
I don't do a whole lotta high heat frying around here, and when I do I use saturated, stable fats like Clarified Butter, Ghee, Palm, Coconut Oil or Lard (yes,sometimes!) Here's why: At this time, it is my understanding that it is not just the smoke point that needs to be considered when choosing an oil for high heat frying, but its fatty acid composition should be considered as well. The saturated fats contain all the hydrogen bonds they can hold in their chemical make up. You can see this in their solid or semi-solid state at room temperature. The monosaturated fats contain one double carbon bond thus, are less stable (they are semi-liquid even in cold temperatures) and more prone to oxidation through things like light and heat. However, while the monosaturates only contain one link, the polyunsaturates, such as Corn, Canola, Cottonseed and Soybean Oil (used in all our premade/fast 'foods') contain two or more double bonds and are the main fats responsible for this damage to our bodies. www.westonaprice.org/faq/faq-fats-and-oils
Now do you understand why I fry very little and only use stable, saturated fats when I do? But for salads and veggies and lower heat frying and sauteing... this Avocado Oil is my choice!
Ma 'n Pa da Silva,
Corinne and CID, had the vision and began pursuing their dream in 2004,
followed by their parents Grampa Chet and Gramma Charlotte in 2008.
Their back breaking work and tenacity has brought their dream to reality
and now it's time for the world to enjoy their amazing products!
Just like home, how many different jobs can a Gal do??
Oh yeah, she can make Avocado Lotion and Body Wash and...
Soap and Lip Balm....
and Flavored Avocado Oil too!
Here's a great chart( Oil Smoke Points)
to reference for smoke points of different fats. Notice the very last
one listed is Avocado Oil at 520 degrees F...that's for refined Avocado
Oil, but our delicious, favorite Virgin Avocado Oil has still got a
super high smoke point of 482 degrees F (250 C)
I hope you will never again buy, and if you have them in your cupboard now throw them out, these oils: Canola, Soybean, Vegetable Oils, Margarines and other fake, man-made concoctions! Read more here too!
I hope you will never again buy, and if you have them in your cupboard now throw them out, these oils: Canola, Soybean, Vegetable Oils, Margarines and other fake, man-made concoctions! Read more here too!
Read 6 Benefits of Monosaturated Oils here and another great article with Avocado Oil's nutritional profile here .
Enter to win an 8.5 ounce Bottle of your favorite Flavor of Oil and choose a Bar of your favorite Soap too! See the Contest Rules in the post above
Posted by Annabelle. Posted In : Contests 'n Give aways
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I'm Annabelle, a quirky homemaker just tryin' to carve out my little piece o' sunshine in the California countryside. Botox, tofu and wheat are scarce in these parts...and Mom always said "Eat your Fat 'cause it's GOOD for ya!"
