Selecting A Good Avocado

Avocado, with its smooth texture and buttery flavor, is the pure embodiment of sunshine. This tropical Mexican fruit is available all over the world, all year round. During the winter, avocados remind us of warmer climes, and during the summer, the nutty flavor is refreshing in a salsa or pesto.

The United States is the world's leading commercial producer of avocados. 80% of the United States' crop is grown in California, and 90% of these are the Hass (rhymes with "pass") variety. Southern Florida is also a big producer of avocados, while Texas and Hawaii produce a small number. There are hundreds of different kind of avocados that differ in taste, texture, and appearance, but only about two dozen varieties are grown commercially in California and Florida. The most common varieties are Hass, Fuerte, Gwen, Pinkerton, Reed, Zutano, and Lula.

Ripe avocados are luscious, but sometimes it's hard to choose one that's ripe enough to eat without being overripe. The secret is that avocados don't start to ripen until they are picked, so it's best to buy an avocado that's nearly ripe and let it ripen at home over 2-5 days. You can speed the ripening of avocados by putting them in a paper or plastic bag out of direct light.

It's difficult to tell if an avocado is ripe by looking at it. The best way to tell if an avocado of any variety is ripe is to hold it in your hand and gently squeeze. The avocado should yield slightly to gentle pressure. Make sure there are no soft spots. If you buy a ripe avocado, it is likely to be overripe by the time you get it home, or to suffer from bruises caused by other consumers trying to determine the avocado's ripeness. Like other fruit, you should select an avocado
that is heavy for its size.

Avocados should not be refrigerated, but you can freeze avocado puree. Peel the avocados you are going to freeze, remove the seeds, and puree them with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for each 2 avocados pureed. Pack the puree into a tightly closed container and use within 3-6 months.

Good For You

Avocados are sometimes called "poor man's butter", because in Latin America, they are at the table at every meal. Avocados make an excellent substitute for butter or cream cheese on toast, bagels, or in dips. Avocados are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, like olive oil. Also, avocados are high in fiber.

Avocados have 60% more potassium than bananas. In addition, avocados have more folate, vitamin E, potassium, and magnesium than any other commonly consumed fruit. Avocados are also a good source of lutein, which protects against eye diseases like cataracts and macular
degeneration, and prostate cancer.