Ripening Avocados

I usually buy Haas avocado - they are the right size for two pipples....
or one hungry individual . . .

but indeed - getting the right stage of 'ripeness' takes a bit of experience.
too ripe - lots of brown icky stuff

I've found it more better to buy under-ripe aka "hard" and let them ripen in the kitchen.
the glitch with that method is.... if you have a 'set in stone plan' - i.e. house guests. . .
predicting when the 'hard when purchased' avocados become 'just right ripe' is a serious problem - it's a plus/minus three day "window"
for "gosh gee any day the avocado feels ripe I'll eat it" - not so much of a problem.
 
CookieMonster said:
I usually buy Haas avocado - they are the right size for two pipples....
or one hungry individual . . .

but indeed - getting the right stage of 'ripeness' takes a bit of experience.
too ripe - lots of brown icky stuff

I've found it more better to buy under-ripe aka "hard" and let them ripen in the kitchen.
the glitch with that method is.... if you have a 'set in stone plan' - i.e. house guests. . .
predicting when the 'hard when purchased' avocados become 'just right ripe' is a serious problem - it's a plus/minus three day "window"
for "gosh gee any day the avocado feels ripe I'll eat it" - not so much of a problem.
Click to expand...
I generally buy them fairly hard a couple or three every visit to the supermarket, put them in the fridge and feel them from time to time to determine ripeness Most are ready to use after a week in the fridge. If an avocado gives in the middle but is hard at the top and bottom it is close to ready. You can take it out to room temperature and use it the next day. There should be no "brown icky stuff." The fruit should allow you to remove the pit with a knife and a twist easily and peel easily with your fingers without any icky stuff.

You are right about avoiding buying ripe ones unless you intend to use them the same day. I was at Walmart today to buy cat food (we many cats) and picked up some human food items as well. I tried to buy avocados but they were all over-ripe. I recommended to an employee there that she remove them from the display. Better not to sell them to anyone. She responded with a blank stare. Ah! Walmart.
 
badjak said:
So, what are the "best" avocado varieties?
I got some I'm trying to grow from pip, but I want to get some "proper" ones as well
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That's rather like saying what are the best raspberries or apple varieties to grow. It's very subjective and determined by what you can get where you live.

This article lists a few other varieties.
I know there are quite a few I can buy as saplings, but my area isn't suited to growing avocado fruits. The trees will grow but the fruit themselves won't.
Discover the Best of Australia's Varieties Of Avocados with The Avolution.
 
badjak said:
So, what are the "best" avocado varieties?
I got some I'm trying to grow from pip, but I want to get some "proper" ones as well
Click to expand...
In 2002 I opened a large avocado and was surprised that there was a root system growing from the seed. I stuck it in a cup of water and it grew a few stalks. I put in dirt and 10 years later it was 6 feet tall with sprawling branches. Of course I discovered from research it would never produce fruit, even if I lived in a temperate climate where it got enough sun and other growing conditions. It eventually died...
 
So much information. I do not to buy rock hard avocados. In my kitchen they turn brown before they ripen. I look for semi hard avocados. The only varieties available are Hass and the smooth, green California, tasteless avocados. Of course I buy Hass.

We both love avocados. One day I decided to make avocado toast topped with a poached egg and Hollandaise. George moaned with pleasure the entire time he ate his breakfast. He never heard of avocado toast. Now he asks for avocado toast.

I never considered refrigerating avocados. I like the idea of ripening at room temperature until just short of ripe then refrigerating.

I met George in February 1982. His mother lived in McAllen, Tx. McAllen is only a few miles north of the Rio Grande River and the Mexican border. The climate is perfect for tropical fruits, vegetables, flowers and foliage. She had several Hass avocado trees in her yard. She would send us a case of avocados each year. We would stuff ourselves with avocados and share with family,

Unfortunately, there was a hundred-year freeze and her avocado trees and palm trees died. Not long after the great freeze she moved to Boerne, Tx. I miss the avocados and I miss Genevieve.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
That's rather like saying what are the best raspberries or apple varieties to grow. It's very subjective and determined by what you can get where you live.

This article lists a few other varieties.
I know there are quite a few I can buy as saplings, but my area isn't suited to growing avocado fruits. The trees will grow but the fruit themselves won't.
Discover the Best of Australia's Varieties Of Avocados with The Avolution.
Click to expand...
I can assure you the U.S. is not the premier consumer per capita of avocados in the English speaking world. I don't doubt that Australia wins the honor. If we were we would probably have better fruit and more selection. We can grow them in California, Florida and Hawaii but we just grow the Haas variety. In deference to Australia, however, I did wear one of my Akubra hats and drove my Subaru Outback to go avocado shopping this morning. I came back with some Haas that will be ready to use in 3 or 4 days.
 
blades said:
I can assure you the U.S. is not the premier consumer per capita of avocados in the English speaking world. I don't doubt that Australia wins the honor. If we were we would probably have better fruit and more selection. We can grow them in California, Florida and Hawaii but we just grow the Haas variety. In deference to Australia, however, I did wear one of my Akubra hats and drove my Subaru Outback to go avocado shopping this morning. I came back with some Haas that will be ready to use in 3 or 4 days.
Click to expand...

I don't believe I ever said it was. Only that what's the best is very subjective.
 
This is the Catalina avocado. really special:
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blades said:
I can assure you the U.S. is not the premier consumer per capita of avocados in the English speaking world. I don't doubt that Australia wins the honor. If we were we would probably have better fruit and more selection. We can grow them in California, Florida and Hawaii but we just grow the Haas variety. In deference to Australia, however, I did wear one of my Akubra hats and drove my Subaru Outback to go avocado shopping this morning. I came back with some Haas that will be ready to use in 3 or 4 days.
Click to expand...

When you write "we" in regard to avocado varieties grown in the US, I am not sure exactly what you mean, but I can assure you that Haas is NOT the only variety grown in the US. In fact, most of them are produced in Mexico. Florida does grow and sell a smooth skinned variety, but I don't know the name and, frankly, I'd rather have the Haas than the Florida commercially grown variety simply because of the taste.

There are quite a few varieties grown in small groves or in backyards in the US that are much better tasting than Haas, but you won't find them in chain grocery stores. They'll be at local farmer's markets or sold street side by home growers. We had large trees in a couple of the homes we owned. They produced way more avocados than we could eat or give away to friends or family; so, we'd either stick them out by the street in a box for free or sell them for $1for 2 in the once a year garage sale our communities allowed.
 
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I would love to have an avocado tree. Unfortunately, the occasional hard freeze in south Louisiana makes that impossible. Growing citrus is a challenge. They only citrus that are somewhat tolerant are Satsumas and Meyer lemons. My dad did have a pink grapefruit that survived and produced for 20 years.
 
ElizabethB said:
I would love to have an avocado tree. Unfortunately, the occasional hard freeze in south Louisiana makes that impossible. Growing citrus is a challenge. They only citrus that are somewhat tolerant are Satsumas and Meyer lemons. My dad did have a pink grapefruit that survived and produced for 20 years.
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I think kumquat will grow there. If I remember correctly, 1 of ex-SIL's family members had a tree.
 
medtran49 said:
When you write "we" in regard to avocado varieties grown in the US, I am not sure exactly what you mean, but I can assure you that Haas is NOT the only variety grown in the US. In fact, most of them are produced in Mexico. Florida does grow and sell a smooth skinned variety, but I don't know the name and, frankly, I'd rather have the Haas than the Florida commercially grown variety simply because of the taste.

There are quite a few varieties grown in small groves or in backyards in the US that are much better tasting than Haas, but you won't find them in chain grocery stores. They'll be at local farmer's markets or sold street side by home growers. We had large trees in a couple of the homes we owned. They produced way more avocados than we could eat or give away to friends or family; so, we'd either stick them out by the street in a box for free or sell them for $1for 2 in the once a year garage sale our communities allowed.
Click to expand...
That's encouraging but the only two varieties I find in the supermarket are Haas and the tasteless Mexican variety. One can only hope that the people who are growing small amounts of better varieties find the motivation to grow their business.
 
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