All About
Hass Avocados
1)When are they in season?
2) From where does the Hass avocado originate?
3)How do they grow?
4)How do you eat them?
5) What is the nutritional value?
6) Will they grow anywhere?
7) How do you know when they are ripe?
8) Avocado recipes
The Answers
1)When are they in season?
In California a Hass avocado has enough oil to ripen as soon at it reaches 10 oz in weight. Other sizes are released for sale through the month of January starting with the largest sizes and ending with the smallest. The crop is generally picked, however usually in the month of March and the season can last up to October or early November.
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2) From where does the Hass avocado originate? Avocado are said to be native to central Mexico and Guatemala however the "Hass" variety has another story.
In 2002, the tree to which every Hass Avocado in the world can trace its lineage finally succumbed to root rot at the ripe old age of 76. Her Hass Avocado offspring account for 95% of the avocados grown in California, and the fruit of her labor resulted in an important industry for the state. Yet, despite speculation to the contrary, nobody knows what variety of seed produced the original Hass Mother Tree.
The tree began life as lucky-find; a simple seed planted by A.R. Rideout of Whittier. Rideout, an innovator and pioneer in avocados, was always searching for new varieties and tended to plant whatever seeds he could find, often along streets or in neighbors' yards.
In the late 1920s, Mr. Rudolph Hass, a postman, purchased the seedling tree from Rideout, and planted it in his new orchard. He planned to graft another variety on it, but when repeated grafts didn't take he planned to cut the tree down. Fortunately for avocado lovers everywhere, Hass's children talked him out of it. They preferred the taste of the tree's fruit to that of the Fuerte, the predominant variety and industry standard in those days.
Since the quality was high and the tree gave a good yield, Hass named the variety after himself and took out a patent in 1935. That same year, he signed an agreement with Harold Brokaw, a Whittier nurseryman, to grow and promote the Hass Avocados. They would split the gross income: 25% for Hass and 75% for Brokaw.
Brokaw began to propagate the rough, black Hass exclusively and promote it in favor of the standard varieties of the day. It made sense. The Hass was a far better bearer than the Fuerte and it matured at a different time of year. Because of the seasonal advantage, Brokaw was successful to the point of yearly sellouts of his nursery crops.
The patent expired in 1952, the same year Rudolph Hass died. But by then, the bumpy black avocado that bore his name was rapidly gaining in popularity on the smooth green Fuerte. Consumers preferred its richer, nuttier taste, while grocers favored it for its durability and longer shelf life. Today, the Hass accounts for about 80 percent of all avocados eaten worldwide and generates more than $1 billion a year in revenues in the US alone.
The tree that launched an avocado revolution lived out her days in suburban La Habra Heights. Harold Brokaw's nephew Hank nursed her through more than a decade, trying to save her from root fungus. Hank lost the fight in 2002, and the tree's wood is currently in storage in a Ventura nursery awaiting the decision on a fitting commemoration of the original Hass Mother Tree.
Source: California Avocado Commission
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3)How do they grow?
The avocado, P. americana, grows to 20 meters (65 feet), with alternately arranged, evergreen leaves, 12–25 centimeters long. The greenish yellow flowers are an inconspicuous 5–10 millimeters wide. The pear-shaped fruit is botanically a berry. It typically measures 7 to 20 centimeters in length and weighs between 100 and 1000 grams. The avocado fruit also has one large central seed, 3 to 5 centimeters in diameter. The avocado is a climateric fruit, which means that it matures on the tree but ripens off the tree.
4)How do you eat them?
The avocado is very popular in vegetarian cuisine, making an excellent substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content.The fruit is not sweet, but fatty, strongly flavored, and of smooth, almost creamy texture. It is used as the base for the Mexican dip known as guacamole, as well as a filling for several kinds of sushi,including California rolls. Avocado is popular in chicken dishes and as a spread on toast or fresh bread, served with salt and pepper or just plain as a butter substitute.
In Central America, avocados are served mixed with white rice. In Chile, its consumption is widespread and used as a puree in chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, and in slices for salads. The Chilean version of Caesar salad contains large slices of mature avocado.
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5) What is the nutritional value?
Depending on the time of year, the avocado's fat content varies. In the early part of the harvest season, California avocados have a fat content close to 2 grams per ounce, while later in the year, they can peak at 6 grams per ounce. Avocados are rich in dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium and folate and are a good source of mono-unsaturated fat, which studies claim may benefit people with heart disease and certain kinds of cancer. One three ounce half contains about 162 calories.
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6) Will they grow anywhere?
The avocado tree does not tolerate freezing temperatures, and can be grown only in subtropical or tropical climates. It is crucial to cultivate most avocado species in climates without frost and little wind.
7) How do you know when they are ripe?
What makes the "Hass" variety unique is that it will turn black when it is ripe and should give to gentle pressure. Apply gentle pressure to the stem end to check, as you would a pear.
