Bacon avocados are available from late fall into the spring and are considered to be a mid-winter variety. Fuerte avocados are also harvested from late fall through spring. Gwen avocados are harvested during fall and winter. Hass and Lamb Hass avocados are harvested year-round. Pinkerton avocados are available from early winter through spring. Reed avocados are available throughout summer and early fall. Zutano avocados mature between the beginning of September through early winter.
Bacon avocados are medium in size, oval in shape, ranging from 6 to 12 oz (170 to 340 g). Fuerte avocados are medium to large when mature, ranging anywhere from 5 to 14 oz (142 to 397 g). They are oblong in appearance and slightly pear-shaped. Gwen avocados can be medium to large, plump, stout ovals, running from 6 to 15 oz (170 to 425 g). Hass avocados can be medium to large, ranging from 5 to 12 oz (142 to 340 g). They are also oval. Lamb Hass avocados are large, ranging in size from 11. 75 to 18. 75 oz (333 to 532 g). They are pear-shaped and symmetrical. Pinkerton avocados are long and pear-shaped. They weigh between 8 and 18 oz (227 and 510 g). Reed avocados are medium to small, ranging from 8 to 18 oz (227 to 510 g). They are the roundest variety available. Zutano avocados are medium to large, usually weighing between 6 and 14 oz (170 and 397 g). They are skinny and pear-shaped.
Bacon avocados and Fuerte avocados have smooth, thin green skin. Gwen avocados have a dull, pliable, and pebbly green skin when ripe. Hass and Lamb Hass avocados have the most distinctive color. A ripe Hass avocado is deep green to purple when ripe. A black avocado will be overripe, just as a vibrant green avocado is under-ripe. Like Hass avocados, Pinkerton avocados deepen in color as it ripens. A ripe Pinkerton avocado will be a deep green. Reed avocados keep their vibrant green coloring even when ripe. The skin is usually thick with mild pebbling. Zutano avocados have thin, yellow-green skin when ripe.
In general, check for even coloring and texture. Any avocado that is uneven, wrinkled or caves in easily has gone bad or has been damaged. Alternatively, it may feel quite light. Either way, the quality of the fruit will have gone down.
Pressing on the fruit with your fingertips can cause bruising. An unripe avocado is too hard to bruise, but a ripe avocado is not. By holding it with the palm, you spread out the pressure, thereby minimizing and reducing the risk of bruising.
When pressing the avocado, it should yield to a minimal amount of pressure if it is ripe. The skin should “give” slightly but should not remain indented. If the avocado feels mushy, it is overripe. If the avocado feels firm, it is under-ripe.
It is possible the first place pressed could be bruised, giving the impression that the avocado is ripe or overripe. To verify this, squeeze the avocado in different locations and compare the firmness of the fruit. A ripe avocado without bruises will have an even softness.
If the flesh feels soft and you are worried that it might be overripe instead of merely being ripe, shaking the avocado is a way to check without cutting it open. The inner pit pulls away from the flesh once the fruit becomes overripe. As a result, the fruit will rattle when shaken. If you hear a rattling noise when shaking an avocado, odds are, the fruit has become overripe.
If the avocado is unripe, you will not be able to remove the stem. Do not use a knife or other tool to cut the stem off. If you cannot pluck off the stem with your fingers, then the avocado is not ripe and not ready to eat.
If the avocado beneath the stem is a dark brown, the avocado may already be overripe.
When the avocado is cut open, you break apart the cellular walls of the flesh and trigger oxidation. The best way to slow oxidation is to apply an acidic agent to the flesh.
To slow oxidation, minimize the amount of exposed flesh. By putting the halves together, the flesh of both sides is covered as much as possible.
The airtight seal limits the amount of oxygen the flesh will be exposed to and slows down the oxidation process.
You can also coat them in bread crumbs before you cook them for an added crunch.
If your avocado turns brown, you might need to throw it away.
