This week a question came in from a student at my Santa Monica College class:
“I am wondering what is the best time (or how do I know when) to pick anavocado [off a tree]. Thanks and I really learned a whole bunch in yourclass! Best, John”
Now I confess, I told John to send his question in to Ask Gardenerd because I didn’t know the answer. We joke around here at Gardenerd that if I can’t answer the question face to face, you have to send it in, because then I’ll have to look it up and answer it! It’s a great opportunity for me to learn something new.
Why don’t I know when to pick an avocado? ‘Cause I don’t like them (insert gag reflex here), so I don’t grow them. Oh well – more avocados for you.
When to pick – different varieties of avocados ripen at different times of the year. First things first: they don’t fully ripen, or rather soften, on the tree. They do that after picking. Many avocados can actually be stored on the tree, much like citrus, until you want them. Here’s a really informative website that helps you find the right time to pick your particular avocado:
http://www.avocadosource.com/books/AvocadoHandbook/Harvesting_files/pick.pdf
A couple tips: Look for slight changes in color and loss of glossiness to know when they’re ready to pick. You can test a few by picking and letting them ripen on your counter. If they shrivel up, they were picked too early.
How to pick – use pruning shears to cut low-hanging fruit. Be sure to leave the stem on – it will separate easily once it’s ripe later on. Higher fruit is usually picked with long poles that have a v-shaped metal end that cuts the stem. Avoid squeezing the fruit, as it will bruise easily.
photo courtesy ofRaedeker Farms
What next? For those who like avocados, there are a myriad ways to eat them. Here are a couple of my husband’s favorite ways to indulge:
Guacamole – Epicurious.com: Gourmet Magazine, Dec. 1990
Avocado with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil
serves 4
Prep: 10 min.
Ingredients:
2 ripe Hass avocados
Balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
finely ground sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. Fill the cavity 2/3 fullbalsamic vinegar and a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil; sprinkle withsea salt and pepper to taste.
How do you like your avocados? Share your ideas with us here. Also feel free to post your tricks for knowing when they’re ripe.
I couldn’t open the above mentioned URL Link:
http://ceventura.ucanr.edu/Com_Ag/Subtropical/Avocado_Handbook/Harvesting/Harvesting_Avocados_/
Please if you may advise by return e-mail
Thanks for catching that. I just republished the post with the corrected link. Not sure why it republished at the top of the thread, but it’s there for all to see now. Happy harvesting!