There’s nothing like a great avocado: buttery, silky smooth, nutty and dense, served perfectly ripe with just a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of salt. (Remember when we used to eat avocados with sugar?)
Hawaii avocado farmers provide us with lots of great-tasting varieties, many of which beat the mainland-grown Hass hands down.
There are two avocado seasons in Hawaii, each with its distinctive varieties. The fall-winter season is under way; expect to see San Miguel, Malama and Sharwills at farmers markets and supermarkets now and in the months ahead.
The San Miguel comes from Puerto Rico, is thin-skinned and has light-green flesh. Malama is a University of Hawaii-developed variety, with skin that is purplish-black when ripe and a very high oil content. Sharwills come from Australia; this variety has a thicker, bumpier skin with a good seed-to-flesh ratio.
According to Lesley Hill of Wailea Ag Group on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii island, mature trees produce better fruit; farmers must invest several years in their orchards before quality fruit becomes available. Farmers must also know when to pick a mature fruit.
"The skin should be dull on the outside; the fruit should break off easily from the tree with the stem. If you have to tug at the fruit, it’s not ripe," said Hill.
Mature avocados ripen well after they are picked from the tree; place them in a paper bag to help the process along. Once an avocado yields to gentle pressure, it’s ready to eat or refrigerate for a few days.
"When you cut open an avocado and you see moisture beads, that’s a watery avocado," added Hill. Always sprinkle a little lemon or lime juice on a cut surface to prevent the avocado flesh from turning black.
Some avocado growers are identifying varieties as they go into the marketplace — this is a great opportunity for consumers to taste an avocado, identify the flavor characteristics and remember them for future purchases.
———
Hawaii food writer Joan Namkoong offers a weekly tidbit on fresh seasonal products, many of them locally grown.
