A tropical fruit that grows on trees, native to South America and dating back to Inca Indian times, the avocado requires a tropical climate for growth. If temperatures fall below freezing for only one day, its tree will die. As a result, U.S. avocados are grown in the states of California and Florida. But the big producer is Mexico, where five times as many fruit are grown than in our country. Like bananas, avocados grow to full size on their trees, but donât ripen until picked. Shipped at 40 degrees in refrigerated containers, the ripening process of the green and hard fruit is arrested until placed on your kitchen counters for about a week. If you are desirous of a few of the fruit to ripen slower, donât forget to refrigerate them.
But here is the huge surprise: Avocado consumption in our country has recently skyrocketed!
According to AT THE LAKE/Geneva Lakes Magazine (Spring/2017), âIn 1960, Americans consumed about 1/4 pound of avocados per yearâŚBy 2010, consumption increased to over 3 pounds per year and today, itâs over 6 pounds per person per year!â In fact, Bill Turner added that Americans consume over 4 billion avocados, at the cost of $1 a person, making this a highly successful food industry!
This success story comes on the heels of the knowledge that avocados are indeed a âsuperfood.â
The magazine mentions several nutritious details:
1. The fruit contains monounsaturated (good) oils, which help lower LDL cholesterol production, thus aiding in the bodyâs absorption of tons of vitamins and minerals. 2. Avocados are a terrific source of potassium, which is used as a regulator of body systems, especially the heart/the fruit contains 50 percent more potassium than bananas per equalizing the two fruitsâ individual weights. 3. Though often mistakenly regarded as high in calories, this isnât entirely true; a whole avocado contains only about 250 calories, with one tablespoon of the fruit having only 23 calories.
Choose to eat the delicious avocado as the major ingredient in the ever-popular guacamole dip, or add it sliced on sandwiches or diced in salad form. There are an abundance of summer tasty recipes from which to choose. Just check your favorite published or non-published magazine, periodical, or computer source. You might even share a recipe with family and friends. But remember, the basic rule for serving avocado in any of its forms is to buy and serve it fresh!
