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Russ
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Avocados ?
Picking an avocado use to be easy. Now my chances of getting one without the dreaded black inside is nearly impossible for me. THis week I had the
venders daughter pick a couple for me and she failed too. Any sure fire ways to avoid the black inside please let me know. I went to put the final
touch on my avocado burger and gues what?
This one and another both had black throughout them. Damn I was so looking forward to my Bacon/Avocado burger.
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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BajaBlanca
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The only suggestion I can give is to buy them while they are hard, put a newspaper around them and put in the oven. Should be good the next day or
so.
This is what my grandma taught me to do with Brazilian avocados.
The challenge, of course, is to have newspaper here in Baja!
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bajaguy
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We use brown lunch size paper bags also
Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca  | The only suggestion I can give is to buy them while they are hard, put a newspaper around them and put in the oven. Should be good the next day or
so.
This is what my grandma taught me to do with Brazilian avocados.
The challenge, of course, is to have newspaper here in Baja! |
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bajalinda
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Thanks for the tip BajaBlanca and bajaguy. I'll give it a try because we've also been seeing a lot of the 'dreaded black inside'.
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Jack Swords
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A correctly picked avocado should have a small nub of the stem remaining (otherwise it can rot from the stem end). When selecting ripe avocados you
can remove that nub and you should see green beneath it. If you see black beneath that remaining part of the stem the avocado has already blackened
inside.
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mulegemichael
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we just bought a bag of them at leys in santa rosalia a day or so ago and have consumed them all...they were perfect..you shop there dont you russ?
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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Udo
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My experience of shopping for avocados here in Baja, is that there is no difference in the market one buys the avocados.
I have found out, however, is that the HASS avocados here in Baja come from a different farm than the ones that get shipped to the USA.
The ones we buy in Baja, have a somewhat thicker skin, so when you feel the avocado for ripeness, it still feels hard and green when you do the squish
test for opening. But when you cut it open it turns out just perfect!
The squish test that works for me is when it still feels green, but not rock hard. The other way to tell is by removing the little hard stem from the
avocado small end. It will tell you if the avocado is ready to be eaten.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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gsbotanico
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The problem is intrinsic in the Haas variety, which totally dominates the market now. Have you also noticed that often the flesh is stringy too?
The problem is partially related to the oil content of the fruit when it's picked. Too low and the avocado doesn't ripen properly and is watery. Too
high and the the avocado takes on a rancid taste and goes black, especially under the skin.
The other problem is that avocados are frequently held in storage for long periods of time. Fruiting is seasonal, but there is high demand now all
year long. An attempt is made to fill the gap in Haas production with imported Haas. This gap used to be filled with other varieties, especially the
Fuerte variety, which has the opposite season of Haas.
I can't count the avocados I've thrown away. My solution is to only buy hard green fruit and ripen them at home. Otherwise they have been banged
around and squeezed by buyers too much guaranteeing black inside. I bought avocado at Costco last week. The label says Mexican Haas, but the shape
isn't quite right for Haas and the flesh doesn't turn brown much when a half avocado is left in the fridge overnight. There are ripening perfectly.
A month ago the Costco avocados wouldn't ripen at all.
There are new varieties that don't turn brown when left cut open. I recently planted one in my yard called Sir Prize. It's similar to Haas. I
suspect that growers in Mexico are quietly changing varieties. Last year I bought a four-pack of Mexican avocados at Vons. It wasn't labeled as
Haas. They ripened perfectly and didn't turn brown. I went back for more, but all packs said Haas. I bought a pack and had the black problem.
Bottom line -- no guarantees. You take your chances until the variety in the market changes. Unless, of course, you have your own tree and the
variety with the flavor you prefer. But you won't have fruit all year long.
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Hook
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I buy green and always avoid ones that are sunburnt on the outside. I look for uniformity in exterior color.
But I'm not saying I never get one that turns black.
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JoeJustJoe
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It's all in the squeeze, before you buy an avocado, do the squeeze test.
________________________________________________
Squeeze the avocados. If an avocado looks ripe, you should still feel it to test its ripeness. Hold it in the palm of your hand, and squeeze gently. A
ripe avocado should yield to firm, gentle pressure, but shouldn’t feel overly soft or mushy.[2]
If an avocado feels firm or hard, it isn’t ripe yet. Purchase it only if you plan to use the fruit several days in the future.
If an avocado feels soft, it’s overripe so you should avoid it.
The harder that an avocado is, the longer that it will likely take for it to ripen.
If you’re purchasing several avocados, it’s a good idea to choose them at various stages of ripeness. That way, you’ll have some that you can use
right way, some that you can use in a couple of days, and some that you can use four or five days in the future.
http://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-Good-Avocado
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blackwolfmt
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For what its worth , when there on sale which is rare I buy med ripe ones and put them in the fridge pull them out to finish the ripe you,d be
surprised how long they will survive
So understand dont waste your time always searching for those wasted years
face up and make your stand and realize that your living in the golden years
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Russ
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I grew up in avocado land and am aware of most of the info given above and I thank all of you. I think my problem , in part is thatfrom the sources I
buy from the avocados have be bumped, bruised and squeezed so much that these basic rules don't help much.
mulegemichael, I don't go to SR much but I have been to the Ley's there a couple of times. I think that the fruit at the large outlets are probably
handled less and maybe the place to buy.
Thanks everyone.
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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Hook
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Nobody squeezes them when they are solid green because there is no give. Buy the green ones, plan ahead, be patient.
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surfhat
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Thanks Botanico for the tutorial. I have been buying avos at Costco lately, as they beat all others price wise over the last few months.
I got a batch from Peru that had problems ripening and when I asked the next time after getting some compensation for the bad ones, I was told these
and been been sprayed with something? that slowed the ripening process.
At the same time some others from Mexico were fine and had not used this spray. Whatever this chemical is, I have a feeling Costco will not be
allowing that source to continue. It sounded like I was not the only one who had trouble with that particular source and now I now why. Thanks to all
here.
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Hook
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| Quote: Originally posted by surfhat | Thanks Botanico for the tutorial. I have been buying avos at Costco lately, as they beat all others price wise over the last few months.
I got a batch from Peru that had problems ripening and when I asked the next time after getting some compensation for the bad ones, I was told these
and been been sprayed with something? that slowed the ripening process.
At the same time some others from Mexico were fine and had not used this spray. Whatever this chemical is, I have a feeling Costco will not be
allowing that source to continue. It sounded like I was not the only one who had trouble with that particular source and now I now why. Thanks to all
here. |
Yeah, one thing I have noticed about the Mexican avos we get around here is how fast they ripen from solid, light green to black. That used to be 7
days in the States. Down here, it seems to be 4 days.
We bought some monster green ones as Ley this week for 35p/kilo. These look like premium Fallbrook avos. Not the greatest prices right now, it can get
into the low 20s.
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gsbotanico
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| Quote: Originally posted by Hook | | Quote: Originally posted by surfhat | Thanks Botanico for the tutorial. I have been buying avos at Costco lately, as they beat all others price wise over the last few months.
I got a batch from Peru that had problems ripening and when I asked the next time after getting some compensation for the bad ones, I was told these
and been been sprayed with something? that slowed the ripening process.
At the same time some others from Mexico were fine and had not used this spray. Whatever this chemical is, I have a feeling Costco will not be
allowing that source to continue. It sounded like I was not the only one who had trouble with that particular source and now I now why. Thanks to all
here. |
Yeah, one thing I have noticed about the Mexican avos we get around here is how fast they ripen from solid, light green to black. That used to be 7
days in the States. Down here, it seems to be 4 days.
We bought some monster green ones as Ley this week for 35p/kilo. These look like premium Fallbrook avos. Not the greatest prices right now, it can get
into the low 20s. |
I work in agriculture and worked in avocado groves as a teenager. An immature avocado will never ripen properly. The oil content isn't high enough.
Putting an avocado in the oven or microwave only cooks it. It won't raise the oil content. I like to put pieces of avocado into scrambled eggs, but
only at the end so it is only slightly warm. Or slices into chicken soup (a la Mexicana) at the moment of serving.
Calavo used to check oil content when marketing California avocados. The whole quality control system changed with imported avocados. Imported
avocados weren't allowed in California for a very long time. Growers in Mexico, Peru, or Chile need to monitor oil content more carefully. It's very
tempting to put fruit into the market early when there is a shortage in order to get a higher price.
Avocados that ripen very quickly have been in storage a long time. Even at low temperatures the fruit continues to ripen. Ethylene gas is the
chemical agent used to hasten ripening. Fruit naturally produce this gas. This is the reason ethylene scrubbers are used in storage facilities. The
gas is added just before sending the fruit to market if the fruit hasn't been in storage an extended period of time. Then the customer gets a nearly
ripe fruit that is almost ready to use. I don't know of any chemical to slow the ripening process, only waxing the fruit like is done with apple.
The best avocado is one that can be sliced and eaten plain with a little salt. I've always said that guacamole was invented by the native people of
Mexico and Guatemala to extend the season and utilize overripe fruit that is beginning to turn dark under the skin.
There is a tree in southern Mexico called "aguacatillo." It has a tiny fruit identical to the big avocado. This fruit is the favorite food of the
beautiful and rare quetzal bird. It's the green and red bird with the very long tail that with small body and tail can reach 30 inches or more. It's
one very discriminating bird in its diet!!
[Edited on 2-9-2017 by gsbotanico]
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Russ
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Okay, I did a google search for testing oil content. I've always heard that is how the growers tested avocados but now I realize it isn't practical
for backyard growers. Then I found this article, Testing Avocados For Maturity
http://www.avocadosource.com/CAS_Yearbooks/CAS_64_1980/CAS_1...
"Within an acceptable range, oil content and dry matter content
are closely related. Testing for either is a reliable test for maturity, and regulations in U.S.A. and Israel are based on oil content
tests. However, it is far easier to test for dry matter than oil content." Also
" Note that mature fruit generally have the following
characteristics:
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Fruit is generally larger (but not necessarily).
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The skin is dull and lusterless with
a powdery appearance rather than shiny.
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The fruit stalk is large and swollen with
a distinct yellowing, rather than green.
•
The seed coat on opening the fruit will be dark, dry, and shriveled rather than pale or whitish. "
OMG, it is not easy to pick a good avocado.
Thank you all for your input. I'll certainly be looking at avocados differently from now on.
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Hook
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| Quote: Originally posted by gsbotanico | An immature avocado will never ripen properly. The oil content isn't high enough.
[Edited on 2-9-2017 by gsbotanico] |
But, surely you are not saying that an avocado must be picked while it is starting to turn black, are you? What is your definition of "immature"?
Tomorrow is the day I cut into my black beauties from Ley. No idea where they are from. No sticker.
Will report back. No means of measuring oil content, other than my tongue. But it is a California-raised tongue. I have eaten nothing but Hass for all
my years. Never liked Bacons, Fuerte, Zutanos, Reeds or Pinkertons as much.
What's the saying? Once you've had black, you can never go back? 
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BajaBlanca
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My grandma was wrong?
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Russ
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Couldn't leave it alone...
http://www.wikihow.com/Tell-if-an-Avocado-Is-Ripe
Covers pretty much most of the above with photos.
I'm going to go cook up some peas I got off the vendor. At least I've had good luck with them.
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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