Avocados can be eaten as they are or added as an ingredient in many dishes and preparations; moreover its properties can also be exploited for cosmetic purposes. Although there are different varieties, the American Persea is the most common, accounting for 80% of avocados sold worldwide and is available all year round. To buy a good avocado, it is important to know some characteristics of each variety, such as the signs of the various degrees of ripeness and the flavor. Read on to learn more.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Determine the Degree of Ripening
Step 1. Place a fruit in the palm of your hand
Step 2. Squeeze it lightly with your fingertips
Don't use your fingernails as you may damage it
Step 3. Find out if the pulp gives way slightly under your pressure
Overripe fruits are soft and fingers enter the peel
Step 4. Check its color
- Choose fruits that do not have any black marks, blemishes or visible skin damage.
- Avocados of the Persea americana variety, when ripe, are dark green to black in color, although other types may remain slightly green.
Step 5. If you plan to eat it after a few days, buy it slightly unripe and firm
- Still unripe avocados can be stored in a paper bag at room temperature (18 ° C-24 ° C) for 5 days before they are ripe.
- To slow down the ripening process, you can store them in the refrigerator.
Part 2 of 2: Avocado Varieties
Step 1. Buy the fruit according to your personal preferences
- If you prefer an avocado with a nutty aftertaste, choose the American Persea variety, Lamb Hass, Gwen, Reed, or Sharwil.
- If you love a delicate taste, then buy Bacon or Zutano.
Step 2. Choose the avocados based on the characteristics of the peel
- The easiest avocados to peel are Pinkertons.
- The most difficult ones are the Ettingers.
Step 3. Evaluate the oil content
- The “fattest” ones are the American Persea, the Pinkerton, the Sharwil and the Fuerte.
- This purchase criterion could be the most useful for those people who want to use avocado for its oil to use on the skin or to follow a healthy diet.
Step 4. Recognize the specific ripeness characteristics for each avocado variety
- Bacon is oval with a smooth green skin that darkens when the fruit is ripe. This variety is available from late autumn throughout spring.
- The Fuertes and Ettingers have a "pear" shape, the skin is green and smooth and does not change after ripening. They are harvested from late autumn until late spring.
- Gwens resemble those of the American Persea variety but are slightly larger. The skin is grainy and turns a dull green when the fruit is ripe.
- Persea americana and the Lamb Hass variety are both oval and turn dark green, purple, or black when ripe. The American Persea variety is available all year round.
- Pinkertons have a very elongated pear shape and the skin is green but darker when the fruit is ripe. They are harvested from the beginning of winter until spring.
- Reed avocados are roundish with a thick, glossy skin. They retain their green color when ripe and are only available in the summer.
- The Sharwil resemble the Fuerte but the oval shape is more pronounced. The peel is greenish-yellow and turns completely green when the fruit is ripe.
- The Zutano have a pear shape with a shiny yellow-green skin that does not change color with maturation. They are available from September until the beginning of winter.
