Varieties

Care & Handling

Availability - Green Giant® Fresh Avocados are available year round.

Selection - The best way to tell if an avocado is ready for immediate use is to gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand. Ripe, ready-to-eat fruit will be firm yet will yield to gentle pressure.

Storage - When unripe, store avocados on the countertop until they yield to gentle pressure. When ripe, refrigerate until ready to use. The ripening process begins when harvested.

Preparation - Start with a ripe avocado and cut it lengthwise around the seed. Rotate the halves to separate. Remove the seed by sliding the tip of a spoon gently underneath and lifting out. The other common seed-extraction method - striking the seed with a knife - is dangerous and not recommended. Peel the fruit by placing the cut side down and removing the skin with a knife or your fingers, starting at the small end. Or simply scoop out the avocado meat with a spoon. Be sure to sprinkle all cut surfaces with lemon or lime juice or white vinegar to prevent discoloration.

Cooking - Use slices of avocado as an addition to submarine sandwiches, or add to grilled meats or salads. Puree avocado with tomatoes, onions, and seasonings to make your own guacamole, or spread pureed avocado on bread in lieu of butter or mayonnaise.

Freezing - In general, Avocados do not freeze well when preserved whole or sliced, however, they are able to be frozen if first pureed, sprinkled with lemon juice to preserve color, then packaged in an airtight container.