Avocados



The avocado originated in central and southern Mexico and was first called "huacatl" by the Aztecs and "palta" by the Inca. Avocados are usually fruit from the species Persea americana. There are 3 main types of avocados: West Indian (P. americana var. americana, are large, smooth, glossy green); Guatemalan (P. nubigena var. guatemalensis medium ovoid/pear-shaped fruit that are pebbled green and turn blackish green when ripe); and Mexican (P. americana var. drymifolia, are small with paper-thin skin that turns glossy green or black when ripe). However there are a large number of hybrids and cultivars within those botanical groups and many commercial cultivars are hybrids of these three.

Optimal storage conditions
Optimal conditions vary by cultivar, growing conditions, and time in the season of harvesting, but in general unripe avocados should be stored at 5 - 12 C while ripe avocados should be stored at 2 - 4 C.

For the 'Hass' variety, early-season fruit should be stored at 5 - 7 C while late-season fruit should be stored at 4 - 5.5 C. Fruit quality is decreased after 3-4 weeks and storage for longer than 6 weeks remains a major challenge.

Using
Guacamole!

Avocado production
In the US, ~90% of avocado production happens in California with the remaining 10% coming from Florida. Fruit, mainly the 'Hass' cultivar, are often imported during off seasons from Chile, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Bahamas, and Jamaica. The 'Hass' cultivar also accounts for 95% of Californian production. It is a Guatemalan-Mexican hybrid.

Tree-storage
Avocados are unusual in that fruit, depending on cultivar, does not have to be picked as soon as they reach maturity. 'Hass' for example can remain palatable for 6 months or longer on the tree after they've reached maturity. This allows many varieties to be "stored" on the tree and harvested to suit marketing needs.