Avocado Pit Orgeat

As some of you might know, this is a well-known recipe from Trash Tiki, a group formed by two bartenders, Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths, who turn food waste into cocktail ingredients just like the Sustainable Bartender blog.

Although it’s not an original recipe, it deserves a place on this blog.

It’s also very important to mention that this recipe was the first food-waste recipe I ever encountered, and it’s what catapulted me into a new world of possibilities for our craft and industry! If it weren’t for Ian and Kelsey, I and the rest of the Sustainable Bartender Community wouldn’t be on this mission.

So let’s get started with this super simple, super easy recipe which has become a pillar of sustainable bartending!

The Properties of Avocado Pits

Avocado pits are consistently wasted, especially nowadays when Avocados are consumed like never before. Because they are considered a superfruit, their pits are thrown out by the tons.

But did you know that Avocado pits are filled with nutrients, fiber, and a variety of antioxidants just like most seeds?

On top of that, most people don’t realize that the pit is filled with moisture, and is therefore easy to cut, chop, and grind up.

So the next time you are thinking of making an Orgeat for your Tiki drinks, ditch the expensive almonds, and use what you have at your disposal!

The result will be a different yet tasty and interesting nut syrup.

Ingredients

Orgeat is a syrup made from almond, sugar, and orange blossom water, but today we will be using avocado pits.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make just a small amount of Orgeat:

  • 1 Avocado Pit
  • 150ml Demerara Sugar (or Brown Sugar). If you want your syrup to be bright orange, go with regular granulated white sugar.
  • 150ml Water
  • Spice Grinder/Blender
  • Fine Mesh Strainer

Part I:
Chop & Grind

The first step is to save your pits and clean them. Make sure to scrub them off to get rid of any leftover fruit.

Dry it with a cloth.

Now you are going to want to chop it in half with a knife, but be careful as the seed IS SLIPPERY!

Slice in half, quarter it and dice it up as much as possible.

You’ll notice that the inside of the pit is white, but as it oxidizes, it turns an orange/red color.

Put everything in a blender or spice grinder and grind it down into a powder.

The powder will look white, but only after a couple of minutes, it will turn bright orange from oxidation!

Retrieve your powder and place it on a baking tray. Dry it in the oven at 75-100°C until completely dry, or let it dry overnight at room temperature.

Part II:
Toast & Add Sugar

Once dried, toast the powder in a saucepan for a couple of minutes. You'll smell the unique flavor of the grounded pits and the color of them will intensify.
Place your sugar and water in the pan and mix everything until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Transfer everything into a container and let the powder sit in the syrup overnight to infuse. (You can skip this step if you don't have enough time).
Once infused, blitz everything up in a blender to break up the chunks, and then finally, strain it all out using a fine mesh strainer or some cheesecloth.

The result…a slightly red/orange colored syrup, great for using in your Rum and Tiki cocktails!

Note that if you use brown sugar or demerara like me, your syrup will be a darker shade of brown like in the photo below, but the flavor will be top-notch for tiki drinks!

If you won’t be using your orgeat so much for Tiki drinks, and instead prefer to use it for regular cocktails, I suggest you use regular white granulated sugar. The color will be very bright orange and will give intense color to your drinks as well!

Who would have thought that leftover pits could be used in your drinks!

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