Do you know that avocado is a fruit, not a vegetable? Avocados may vary from the small round ball variety, shiny green, to the big pear-shaped, a little bit russet-coated fruit. Avocados have shell-like skin or a smooth thin skin, depending on a variety. This fruit has yellowish-green firm flesh and a single large seed. California and Florida produce most of the crop and avocados are the best from December to April.
Select avocado that is heavy and firm, or just beginning to soften. The skin shouldn’t be cracked or bruised. Color may vary-avocado will turn dark green or black, but others may retain light green even when ripe. If you plan to use avocado in a few days, buy firm, unripened fruit. Do not pick avocados that are too soft or have dark blemishes on the skin.
If avocado is firm or hard, keep at room temperature for couples of days until soft to the touch. Never put avocados in the fridge unless they are ripe. You can keep whole avocado in the fridge from two to four weeks; cut and covered avocado can be stored one to two days; or you can even freeze this fruit for one year. To freeze, wash, seed and peel the fruit, pure avocado and add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice for every pureed avocado. Put pure in the container and freeze.
Avocados are full of thiamine, riboflavin and vitamin C. But unlike any other fruits, avocados are very high in fat-one avocado is close to 300 calories and 70-80 percent of their calories are fat. But nutritionally avocados are still very valuable.