How To Choose Perfect Avocado At The Supermarket?

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Are you an avocado lover, but quite frankly fed up of getting what you thought were the best avocados only to slice into them at home only to find them way too hard or way too over ripe? We feel your frustration! But no fear, there are a number of tips to help you choose perfect avocado at the shop and have that feeling of cutting into one and seeing the perfectly soft, bright green flesh-pure bliss full of health benefits!

Firstly, did you know that avocados do not ripen on the tree? They ripen or soften after they have been harvested. Hass avocados are unique from some of the other varieties of avocados because they can change from a dark-green color to a deep purplish almost black hue when ripe. That said, ripeness is ultimately determined by pressure. Color can sometimes be misleading as avocado softening can occur at a varying rate, independent of the color. Ripe avocados that yield to gentle pressure should be eaten within a day or two. Unripe, firm, or green fruit can take four to five days to ripen at room temperature.

When an avocado begins to yield to gentle pressure, place it in the refrigerator to slow the ripening process.

Season and country of origin also play a role when it comes to having to choose perfect avocado at the supermarket. Selecting the right avocado for the season can be surprisingly tricky. Good choices are available all year, but a knowledgeable buyer needs to juggle four factors: Variety, season, growing area and fruit size. Every month or two the scenario changes, requiring avocado lovers to stay alert.

Hass, which dominates commercial production, is an excellent variety later in the season in late winter and spring, but is not the best choice around mid-winter, when even the largest fruits are still rather bland. It’s better to select one of the other major varieties that start maturing at this time, such as Bacon, Fuerte and Zutano, all from California.

Mexican varieties are the mostly widely spread on the market, as are avo’s from Chile, Peru and the Dominican Republic. Choosing fruits from any of these countries when they are in season is therefore a good bet.

KEEP READING: 9 Facts About Avocados Infographic

If you’re specifically looking for avocados grown without or with as little pesticides as possible, then it’s best to look for fruit from the small European producers who tend to use fewer chemicals on their crops. Spain is the only European country producing and exporting avocados, and the harvest of the fruit in this country takes place between the months of November and May.

What are your tricks to follow to choose perfect avocado?

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