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Avocados ?

Russ - 2-6-2017 at 07:26 AM

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.

BajaBlanca - 2-6-2017 at 08:05 AM

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!

bajaguy - 2-6-2017 at 08:15 AM

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!

bajalinda - 2-6-2017 at 08:26 AM

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'.

Jack Swords - 2-6-2017 at 10:41 AM

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.

mulegemichael - 2-6-2017 at 11:01 AM

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?

Udo - 2-6-2017 at 11:14 AM

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.

gsbotanico - 2-6-2017 at 12:13 PM

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.

Hook - 2-6-2017 at 01:58 PM

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.

JoeJustJoe - 2-6-2017 at 02:27 PM

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

blackwolfmt - 2-6-2017 at 02:50 PM

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

Russ - 2-6-2017 at 03:40 PM

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.

Hook - 2-8-2017 at 09:11 AM

Nobody squeezes them when they are solid green because there is no give. Buy the green ones, plan ahead, be patient.

surfhat - 2-8-2017 at 12:09 PM

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.

Hook - 2-8-2017 at 01:35 PM

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.

gsbotanico - 2-9-2017 at 03:07 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook

Quote: Originally posted by surfhat

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]

Russ - 2-9-2017 at 04:34 PM

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:
•
Fruit is generally larger (but not necessarily).
•
The skin is dull and lusterless with
a powdery appearance rather than shiny.
•
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.

Hook - 2-9-2017 at 04:44 PM

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?

BajaBlanca - 2-9-2017 at 05:06 PM

My grandma was wrong?

Russ - 2-9-2017 at 05:41 PM

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.

Russ - 2-10-2017 at 01:03 PM

Success! I only bought the Avos with a stem bud. One was easily movable the other not movable. The movable one I opened right away and is really fine! made quesadillas with graded cheddar, green onions, avocado and my favorite hot sauce, Tiger Sauce. Oh, a bit of garlic salt.

Jack Swords - 2-10-2017 at 01:55 PM

Good call Russ. So many avocados that are called "Hass" are either seedlings or varieties like Carmen Hass, Leaven's Hass, Lamb Hass, Sir Prize, or GEM. All named varieties are commercially grown, but attempting to appeal to consumers who are conditioned to the known Hass variety. All are black skinned when mature, and can be quite good. The small stem piece is essential to keep avocados from rotting from top down and it also is a great indicator of the avocado quality. Many Mexican growers pull the fruit off the tree without cutting and leaving that stem piece. Of the 50 or so varieties of avocados I grow, the real Hass is still the best. Some varieties are bigger, some have a peel that falls off, there are different maturity dates, yet I still prefer the Hass even when others are available. Glad you finally got a good avocado.

BajaBlanca - 2-10-2017 at 02:37 PM

That link gave a LOT of information, Russ.

Bacon Avocado sounds quite heavenly :biggrin:

Your avo looks really beautiful, success!

Hook - 2-10-2017 at 04:53 PM

To me, those dont look like the flesh of the true Hass. The green flesh seems too light and the white flesh not yellow enough. But I'm no expert.

What do you think, Jack?

I cut into mine today. No nub on the fruit. Light is a bit of a weird color. Maybe this one isnt a true Hass, either.

DSC_1051.JPG - 156kB

Jack Swords - 2-10-2017 at 06:18 PM

Pretty good photographs showing color, shape, seed cavity, etc. on this site. http://ucavo.ucr.edu/AvocadoVarieties/VarietyFrame.html#Anch...

Click on the name of the avocado for illustrations and other info.

Hook, looks too light in color to me. So how was the taste?

David K - 2-10-2017 at 08:49 PM

Reed avocados are round, have a high oil content, and have a high 'meat' vs. seed ratio. Makes a great bowl being round. Sadly, marketing dictates that avocados must be pear shaped. So, the Reed variety is not found in most markets.

Hook - 2-10-2017 at 09:28 PM

I think the oil content was a little lower than I expected. But I have another still ripening.

Can oil content change, depending on when it was picked or how long you let it ripen after buying?

The photo doesn't do it justice. I will try another with the next one.

blackwolfmt - 2-16-2017 at 12:39 PM

Here ya go Russ this outta make finding them ripe avis easier, Personally I dont see how it could work but WTH :coolup:

[Edited on 2-16-2017 by blackwolfmt]

Russ - 2-16-2017 at 04:35 PM

Bought another one yesterday with the stem still attached and opened it today. About 1/4 was going black but I did have enough for chips, for one. I have noticed that the last 3 just didn't have the rich taste I look forward to. I use to mix a little mayo in too but with the milder flavor that would hide the flavor. I think they are picking them a bit early. I'm now not buying any avos without the stem. When I remove the stem today it was greed underneath.

Don Jorge - 2-17-2017 at 07:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook

I think the oil content was a little lower than I expected. But I have another still ripening. Can oil content change, depending on when it was picked or how long you let it ripen after buying?

Ah, oil content. Nothing like a properly grown Hass avocado picked at the peak balance of oil, sugar and moisture.

Yes, how it is grown, when it was harvested, how it was harvested, transported, cooled, stored and shipped all matter. Dry matters too and avocados balance of dry matter and oil changes after harvest, albeit at a much slower rate than fruit left hanging on the tree.

We have sold tens of thousands of boxes of avocados from Ca, Mex, Chile and Peru over the years. Right now the avocados from Mexico suck.

My best guess for that would be improper irrigation management, probably due to inadequate irrigation infrastructure across the avocado growing regions in Mexico, These regions rely on and usually receive copious rainfall events. It is has been a bit dry in some Mexican growing regions.

Avocados, a sub tropical fruit, require 50 inches of water per acre for optimum growth. That is a lot of water. They can be grown with much less water but optimum growth produces optimum fruit.

Current "drought" conditions in some of the Mexican growing regions have penalized growers without proper irrigation and the orchards suffer. The fruit from those orchards while not the best is nonetheless marketed. Given the seemingly insatiable demand for avocados and avocado oil and the cash returns back to growers who can blame them.

In the end, it is the consumers demand for avocados year round which drives the problem. Every region has its peak and the peaks of avocado taste do not overlap seamlessly from region to region. Pick too early, not enough oil, pick too late cannot get the fruit to market in condition.

Like many said here, it is a gamble selecting avocados at the market. Stems attached, hard green fruit placed in a paper bag with an apple to help ripen it and the trend is your friend. If they have been good lately, go for it. If bad, don't expect change overnight.

We used to say the avocados were getting good because the dogs were getting fat and shiny. Right now, 635 am in Dana Point CA it is blowing SSE 18 mph, gusting 25 mph, BP is 29.54 and falling slowly. My guess is the CA avo growers are going to get hit pretty hard today and tomorrow. Lots of windfalls coming and fat, shiny dogs on the way.

gsbotanico - 2-18-2017 at 01:03 PM

Well said, Don Jorge.

I've been in the avocado growing areas between PÃ¡tzcuaro and Uruapan in the state of MichoacÃ¡n and in the Tenancingo area in the state of MÃ©xico. Both are mountainous. In the Tenancingo area I was with a small group of Mexican growers, not in avocados, but in greenhouse crops. I was the only Anglo. There were lots of government roadblocks because of reoccurring violence. I used my FM3 as ID and only spoke Spanish to make myself less obvious.

I don't remember seeing irrigation systems in the Tenancingo area. It was misty and rainy when I was there with volunteer avocado trees all over the place along the road and outside the orchards. In other parts of Mexico where local avocados are used I always ask what variety it is. The answer is always the same: "criollo." This usually means the fruit is from a seedling tree and not grafted.

I bought four of the very small-sized avocados at Sprouts on Tuesday, two for the price of one. They were Mexican avocados and ripened fine. I was afraid to buy more. They need to be used quickly.

This morning I bought a five-pack at Costco. They are from Chile. I'll see how they ripen. I've eaten Chilean avocados in Chile, and they were excellent.

Udo - 2-18-2017 at 05:58 PM

You are right, the Chilean avocados are tasty, but the Mexican avocados have a little less moisture content and seem to work better at making guacamole.

Quote: Originally posted by gsbotanico

Well said, Don Jorge.

I've been in the avocado growing areas between PÃ¡tzcuaro and Uruapan in the state of MichoacÃ¡n and in the Tenancingo area in the state of MÃ©xico. Both are mountainous. In the Tenancingo area I was with a small group of Mexican growers, not in avocados, but in greenhouse crops. I was the only Anglo. There were lots of government roadblocks because of reoccurring violence. I used my FM3 as ID and only spoke Spanish to make myself less obvious.

I don't remember seeing irrigation systems in the Tenancingo area. It was misty and rainy when I was there with volunteer avocado trees all over the place along the road and outside the orchards. In other parts of Mexico where local avocados are used I always ask what variety it is. The answer is always the same: "criollo." This usually means the fruit is from a seedling tree and not grafted.

I bought four of the very small-sized avocados at Sprouts on Tuesday, two for the price of one. They were Mexican avocados and ripened fine. I was afraid to buy more. They need to be used quickly.

This morning I bought a five-pack at Costco. They are from Chile. I'll see how they ripen. I've eaten Chilean avocados in Chile, and they were excellent.

Udo - 2-18-2017 at 06:02 PM

Low 20's Pesos per kilo. I remember they used to sell for 12-17 Pesos, but I have not seen low 20 Pesos unless I buy a case at Mercado Hidalgo in Tijuana.
The Mexican mercado prices have been in the mid 30 peso to 44 Peso per kilo in the last year. (most recently at $44 Peso for the large Haas in the last few weeks.)

Quote: Originally posted by Hook

Quote: Originally posted by surfhat

MitchMan - 2-19-2017 at 12:19 PM

Love the reed avocado. Lots of oil. Only drawback is a slight lack of sugar, but the extra buttery taste and texture more than makes up for it. In the last 20 years, I have only seen reeds in a supermarket twice. Farmers markets have them sometimes. My policy is to buy them if and when I see them anywhere at any time.

I planted a small "Holiday" avocado tree at my place in Orange County, Ca. Doesn't need an a companion tree to yield fruit. It is supposedly a dwarf type. It's about 14 ft high now and has yielded fruit for the last 3 years. Really big fruit with good peeling skin. First year fruit was tasteless and watery. 2nd year's fruit was slightly better. Third year fruit started to revert to first year fruit poor quality. However, every now and then a get a good fruit that is even a little buttery, but most don't ripen well; that is, part of the fruit ripens and the other half stays as hard as a rock. ??? Wish I knew how to fix it.

The best avocados that I have ever eaten were given to me by a fellow employee about 40 years ago from his private little orchard. They were big Fuertes. Thin skin but decent peel. The most buttery and flavorful avocadoes that I have ever eaten. Still vividly remember them as I ate two of them at a Rolling Stone concert at Anaheim Stadium in Ca.

Fuertes from the supermarkets are rarely any good. So, it must be something in the growing process that makes a difference. Sure wish I knew what that was.

[Edited on 2-19-2017 by MitchMan]