Eight Things You didn't know about Avocados

1.     Consumption of avocados is increasing. Around the world, 1.6 billion avocados were consumed in 2012

2.     Avocados are fruits even if we treat them like vegetable, but technically they are fruit.

3.     Did you know that avocados mature on the tree, but they only ripen once they are off the tree? Even more amazing is the fact that avocados can stay on a tree for as long as 18 months.  It's as if the tree preserves them until you're ready to use them.

 4.     All avocados are picked by hand. Labor and water are the major cost factors for avocado growers.  And according to DeLyser, it takes a special individual to harvest them. Avocado trees are high, so a 16-foot pole with a pouch and clipper at one end is used to pick the out-of-reach fruit. Holding the pole, you cradle the avocado in the pouch, then pull a string on the pole to clip off the stem near the top of the fruit.

5.     There is basically one season for avocados in California. the season stretches from around April through September. the tress usually bloom once a year, around February. Sometimes growers get another bloom in late fall, but that doesn't happen often.  Meanwhile, in Mexico, there are five different regions that grow avocados with five different climates and five different times for bloom.

6.     Did you know that retailer can request avocados from among several age of ripeness? stage five is tender enough to be ready for guacamole, while stage four is considered slice-ready. if you want to hasten the ripening of an avocado, put it in a paper bag with banana or apple.

7.     whats the best way to judge when an avocado is ready to eat? According to the California Avocado Commission, colour is not an indicator. squeezing it with your fingertip-known as digitizing in avocados business lingo-can leave bruises on the fruit. How many of us have made that mistake?  those in the know recommend you cup it in your palm and squeeze it gently. It ready when it still rather firm but gives in to gentle pressure.

8.     Hass is the more popular variety of avocado grown around the world. the Hass tree was discovered in the backyard of a mailman named Rudolph Hass in La Habra Height  California in the 1930s. Hass knew a good thing and he patented his tree in 1935. All Hass trees can trace their lineage back to that tree. But the Hass avocado had to wait about 35 year before it really became popular in he 1970.