Surprising Facts About Avocados!
Avocado –the Suprising Fruit (Not a vegetable!)
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Avocado mixed with ice cream is a popular dessert in Brazil.
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Over 5% of all avocados are sold in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl game. (That’s a lot of guacamole!)
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San Diego County produces 60% of avocados grown in California. (And California
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Did you know that avocados must be picked in order to ripen? Although they mature on the tree, they will not ripen until they are picked. Avocados can be “stored” for 7 months or more by leaving them on the tree. The avocado leaves contain a substance that prevents the fruit from ripening.
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Why are avocados relatively expensive? Two reasons: (1) They need water; and (2) They are picked by hand. In order to reach a tree’s avocados, the picker uses a 16-foot pole with a pouch and clipper attached. When an avocado is in the pouch, a string on the pole is pulled to clip off the stem at the top of the fruit.
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The avocado is called an “alligator pear” because of its shape and skin texture.
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Avocados are cholesterol free. Over 75% of the fat in avocados is unsaturated fat. An ounce of avocado contains nearly 20 different vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
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California produces 90% of commercially grown avocados in the United States.)
