Avocado

About

Avocados have green, brown, purplish, or black skin when ripe, and may be pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. Commercially, the fruits are picked while immature, and ripened after harvesting. The high fat and smooth texture of avocados make it a useful and diverse food in different cuisines, and is traditionally important in Mexican foods. The high nutritional value and concentration of fat, make avocados a commonly used food in vegetarian foods and generally is thought nutritious and healthy.

Growing

As a subtropical species, avocados need a climate without frost and with little wind. High winds reduce the humidity, dehydrate the flowers, and affect pollination. When even a mild frost occurs, premature fruit drop may occur, although the 'Hass' cultivar can tolerate temperatures down to −1 °C. Several cold-hardy varieties are planted in the region of Gainesville, Florida, which survive temperatures as low as −6.5 °C with only minor leaf damage.

Local

Common Recipes

• Refried Black Bean Tostadas
• Mexican Quinoa

Varieties

There are many different cultivars, but nothing that is used specifically in a recipe where another type of avocado will make a big difference. The most popular cultivar is the Hass variety.

Nutritional Information

Based on a 100g portion ¹

References