Article from WikiHow.com
Edited by Penmouse, Teresa, Blizzerand, Cheesedude and 4 others
How to Choose Avocados
An
avocado is a tropical fruit with a unique flavor and texture. Avocados
can be used for various purposes, such as for making guacamoles, for
making homemade beauty treatments and masks, or can simply be enjoyed
and eaten on their own. In the United States, avocados are grown
primarily in Southern California and Southern Florida. The two states
yield dozens of avocado varieties, with the produce being distinctly
different depending on the state that they were grown in. Learn how to
choose avocados properly, depending on what you will be using them for.
Step 1
Know
that there are two major types and producers of avocados in the United
States. The produce being offered in your local grocery or market may
differ, depending on your geographical location and on the season.
California
avocados are available year-round, with Southern California produce
accounting for approximately 80% of the US avocado market. The most
common variety is the Hass avocado, with rough, bumpy skin. California
avocados have a rich, nutty flavor and are relatively smaller than
their Florida-grown counterparts.
Florida avocados are more
seasonal, being available only for 8 months of the year, from July to
February. The Florida variety grows to about twice the size of their
California-counterparts, but are often less costly and offer fewer
calories.
Step 2
Determine
your purpose for the avocados. If you will need the avocados for an
immediate purpose, or for guacamole, you would want to choose ripe,
ready-to-eat avocados. However, if you are buying the avocados in
advance, you can purchase the firm types, and ripen these at home.
Step 3
Check for the attributes of the avocados that you are purchasing.
Ripeness:
Hold the avocado in the palm of your hand. Gently squeeze the avocado,
being careful not to press with your fingertips, as this can cause
bruising. A ripe avocado will be soft and will yield to the gentle
pressure, but will not be overly squishy. If it is still hard, then it
is still under ripe and will take a few days to ripen. You may still
opt to purchase under ripe avocados, and ripen them at home.
Look:
Choose avocados with unblemished skin. Avocados that are shiny are not
yet ripe enough, but again, you can still purchase these and ripen them
at home.
Color: The color of
avocados differ depending on the variety. For California Hass avocados,
their color turns dark green or purplish-black as they ripen. Florida
avocados, on the other hand, have lighter-green skin with yellowish
tone, even when they are ripe.
Step 4
Avoid avocados which
are overly soft and mushy, since this would mean that the fruit is too
ripe. Other things to avoid when choosing avocados include dark
blemishes, brown spots, dents and bruises.
Tips
To
ripen avocados at home, you can store them at room temperature, and
they should ripen over 5 days on average. To speed up the ripening
process, place the avocados in a brown paper bag with an apple or a
banana. To stop the ripening process, store the avocados in the
refrigerator.
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