Chips? Check. Shredded cheese? Check. Steak and chicken? Check. Sour Cream? Also check! Now, what are these delicious nachos missing? That’s right, guacamole! Who doesn’t love guacamole, and the amazing fruit (yes, fruit) it comes from? Avocados are flowering plants from the “lauraceae” family and they are technically berries, and all contain one large seed. Avocado trees are self-pollinating and cultivated in environments with tropical weather. As most people know, Mexico is the leading producer of avocados, supplying the world with about 32% every single year. Do you love avocados? Do you want to know more about them? Read below for avocado wall art facts!
Overview
The avocado tree is a tropical evergreen that has three different horticultural “races”: Guatemalan, Mexican and West Indian. Avocado trees can reach heights of over 60 feet, and grow continuously throughout the year. The timing and length of each avocado season is heavily dependent on temperature, so depending on location avocados can grow and be harvested year-round. The avocado was first domesticated within the United States in 1833 in Florida. There are more than 56 different types of Florida avocados alone, which can be classified into over three different categories: summer, fall and winter. The Hass avocado, which is was first cultivated in La Habra California in the 1920s, is popular type of avocado that wasn’t widely accepted by consumers for a while due to it’s dark and rough exterior. Today, Hass avocados account for 95% of the avocados grown in California. Read below for more avocado wall art facts.
Harvest
Since most fruits can stay on a tree for long periods of time without going through a ripening process, harvesting periods can overlap year to year. Harvesting for avocados can begin in the late fall of early winter, and may even continue throughout the new year in to the following fall. All avocados are harvested by hand due to their delicate nature. Pickers work from ground level and use ladders or specially constructed poles to pick avocados from trees. In Florida, avocados are harvested from late May through March. A professional avocado picker has the ability to pluck near 4,000 a day! Read below for more avocado wall art facts.
Nutrition
Did you know that avocados are considered to be a superfood? Avocados are one of the most nutrient dense vegetables in the world, contain few calories and offer a large amount of vitamins and nutrients. Just one-fifth of an avocado has 50 calories and 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. A serving of avocado meets your recommended daily value of vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, fiber, iron and potassium. Avocados are also a great source of dietary fiber, which reduces the chances of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes! Read below for more avocado wall art facts!
Consumption
If it wasn’t obvious before from seeing the prices at the supermarket rise over time, avocado is one of the most popular fruits in the United States. Avocado consumption in America has actually double over the past 10 years! In fact, avocado consumption is now four times higher than what it was in the 1990s. Avocados have managed to become more abundant across the country due to a large increase in importing. From 2012 to 2016, the United States produced about 20% of the avocados eaten within the country, compared to just 80% before.
Conclusion
Now that you know so much about avocados, what are you going to do next? Planning on planting your own avocado tree? How about making your own, fresh guacamole with red onion and lime juice? Better yet, why not try cutting some avocado to place on top of a grilled burger! Want another idea? Avocados have lots of use for breakfast! Ever had avocado on your omelet? How about avocado smeared over some nice, whole-wheat toast! Why not blend some avocado into your green smoothie? Whatever you choose to do, we hope you learned something from our blog! Thanks for reading these avocado wall art facts.