Thread: Avocado megathread - All things Avocado!

Bodda-boom, bodda bing.

Photos, recipes and your avocado eating habits.

I just bought avocados and and I'm going start eating them everyday.

Let's get the ball - no, avocado - rolling!



When the early Spanish explorers first set stepped into the jungles of the Caribbean and Central America, among the many novelties they found was a large green tree fruit, with leathery skin, a seed like a chestnut and creamy, lime-green flesh unlike anything they knew in their own heritage of edible plants. For the Spaniards, it was easy to see why the local people, from Mexico to Colombia, made use of this fatty, flavorful resource — and so the avocado was destined to become a superstar of fruits. It had been a dietary staple for thousands of years in the Americas, and now it would spread through the rest of the world: In 1750, the avocado was introduced to Indonesia, in 1833 Florida, in 1908 Israel. It reached Australia in the late 1800s.

The species arrived in California in 1856, and today orchards near San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara produce almost 90 percent of America’s avocados.

The rich and creamy Hass variety makes up the vast majority of the production, while a few small farms grow a variety of rarities — like Reed, Fuerte, Zutano and Bacon (yes, bacon!). Meanwhile, Florida’s small industry is focused on varieties like Choquette, Hall and Lulu — large, smooth-skinned fruits with juicy, sweet flesh popular among populations of Caribbean immigrants. One company, Brooks Tropicals, is even marketing these low-oil varieties as “SlimCados.” Many Florida avocado lovers, in fact, dislike the California-grown varieties, sometimes describing them as “oily.” Californians, though, may backpedal from the taste and texture of the low-fat Florida avocados — and call them “watery.”

To see for ourselves the diverse range of avocados and each one’s culinary virtues, we lined up several varieties of the fruit (assembled with the kind help of the Santa Barbara-based avocado company Shade Farm Management), wielded our spoons and discovered that one avocado may not be better than another; each is simply different. For the diversity in shape, size, taste and texture in available varieties made it seem, sometimes, like we weren’t so much comparing types of avocados, but the proverbial apples and oranges.

Shepard. This small avocado, an important commercial variety in Australia, has delicate smooth skin and a pointed, acorn-shaped pit embedded in rich, sticky flesh. A relative of the Hass, it has its obvious similarities in texture, but with a thicker — almost gluey — consistency. It was a top contender in our lineup. Season*: August through October.

Choquette. A popular Florida variety, the Choquette avocado may easily weigh two pounds (the average Hass is perhaps 6 ounces). But, more so than in many other varieties, the Choquette’s weight is largely comprised of water. That is, cut this fruit with a knife and it bleeds lime-green juice. One of our panel described its taste as “avocado rainwater.” The flesh is silken and the flavor extremely mild. Season: October through December.

Tonnage. A classic avocado on the outside, with a pear-shaped figure and frog-green pebbly skin and a slender neck leading to the stem, the Tonnage stands out when tasted — for it is remarkably sweet. While its oil content is on the low side — just 8- to 10-percent fat — it is nonetheless buttery, with a faint and savory taste of chestnut. Season: September.

Daily 11. A huge avocado and a relative of the fatty Hass, the Daly 11 may weigh five pounds or more and bears a thick, armor-like hide with dense, flavorful, oily flesh inside. Season: August through October.

Macarthur. This voluptuously shaped variety, with a bulbous bottom that curves deeply into the stem, has thick and creamy meat, with a nutty flavor, and is decadently smooth and buttery when fully ripe. Delicious. Season: August through November.

Hall. A relative of the Choquette and similar in shape and size, the Hall avocado has nuttier, drier and thicker flesh, though still juicy and fruity. Season: October through November.

Mexicola Grande: Small but beautiful, the Mexicola Grande has glistening black skin, almost as thin as paper. The light-flavored flesh is slightly fibrous, sweet and juicy. Season: August through October.

Anaheim. This large and softball-shaped avocado may grow to two pounds and has buttery, creamy, soft flesh and a mild, nutty flavor. Season: June through September.

Hass. High-fat flesh, a nutty taste, and almond butter texture make the Hass both the classic West Coast avocado and a favorite worldwide. Its oil content can be 20 percent or higher, and its skin is tough and durable — ideal for shipping, and for use as a scooping cup when preparing Super Bowl guacamole. Season: Year-round.

Other U.S. grown avocado varieties available: Bacon, Fuerte, Zutano, Pinkerton, Gwen, Lamb Hass, Reed.

*Seasons described for Northern Hemisphere.

The four most popular avocado recipes on Food Republic:

Lobster Guacamole Recipe
Avocado Cream Pasta Sauce Recipe
Grilled Avocado With Quinoa Salad Recipe
Best Basic Guacamole Recipe

Know Your Avocado Varieties And When They're In Season - Food Republic

Mega thread???? TWAT!!!!!

Shouldn't this thread be in the kitchen? The Kitchen - TeakDoor.com - The Thailand Forum

Avocado trees also grow in Australia and Africa.

Originally Posted by Kurgen

Mega thread???? TWAT!!!!!

The 'thread????' can be removed.

Originally Posted by wasabi

Avocado trees also grow in Australia and Africa.

As they might anywhere within torrid zones....and they do.

wtf is a 'torrid zone'?

Originally Posted by cyrille

wtf is a 'torrid zone'?

Geographical torrid zones.

Originally Posted by cyrille

wtf is a 'torrid zone'?

According to Lulus brief it's between the two Tropic of Cancers, which is not strictly correct because Avocados do grow further south.

They're green and they've got a massive fucking stone in the middle. Next question.

^^^ Why is there a ladder in that bath? ...and why is it facing the wall?

^^ There's only one Tropic of Cancer....Capricorn stole the other one...

Avocado & Strawberry salad is the number 1 recipe in our house...

Originally Posted by Troy

Why is there a ladder in that bath?

In case the missus is 2 rungs shorter than you.

...and why is it facing the wall?

Grip.

Originally Posted by Troy

^^^ Why is there a ladder in that bath? ...and why is it facing the wall?

^^ .

That's a chrome tap,twin mixer.

Why are local avocadoes disappointing in texture and taste: indeed, almost watery? I buy local when I can, but unless the strain is improved, they can stay on the shelf...

The ancient Aztecs used to shove them up their nostrils and dance on one foot.

Originally Posted by cyrille

wtf is a 'torrid zone'?

Soi cowboy to name but one.

Originally Posted by tomcat

Why are local avocadoes disappointing in texture and taste: indeed, almost watery?

Agree if store bought. Picked too soon and even when ripened not good. When in season and allowed to tree ripen in several areas they are much better.

Originally Posted by wasabi

Originally Posted by cyrille

wtf is a 'torrid zone'?

According to Lulus brief it's between the two Tropic of Cancers, which is not strictly correct because Avocados do grow further south.

Not in their truer native form, they don't propagate outside of said tropic/sub-tropic latitudes.

You might be referring to the modern hybrids that have been manipulated and modified to grow within more temperate/cooler zones.....in which this variety do not flourish terribly well - still be instinctively climate sensitive.

I love avocados, I can usually buy them at Foodland but recently they don't have them

And yea I've seen the Thai version, very large and very... unpleasant tasting. What went wrong?

Wow, someone other than snaff just bumped a snaff thread.

Unless...

Originally Posted by bluecowry

I love avocados, I can usually buy them at Foodland but recently they don't have them

Are they seasonal? I can't find them now either. Avocado experts?

^Yes. They're seasonal. When in season, I'm awash in them. But the season is May - September here.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

But the season is May - September here.

About same here. Mid year.

^I can't believe I'm so careless as to allow Humbert to suck me into commenting on a post in a Cold Pizza thread. I NEVER comment in that scumbag's threads other than to tell him what a thread-bumping cocksucker he is.

Thanks Humbert. I feel soiled.