How to select for best flavor:

To properly select an avocado, you have to know what you are using it for. If you are buying an avocado to eat right away, look for a plump, well-formed fruit that has a slight give to it when gently squeezed. If you are buying a green variety, choose one that has a soft, dull-looking skin with a velvety feel. Avoid hard, shiny green avocados. Also, avoid green avocados with black spots. This indicates decay and usually a very strong unpleasant flavor.

With all avocados, look for a full neck. This is a sign that they were allowed to mature fully on the free before picking. Avoid avocados that are bruised or show finger marks. These tend to decay rapidly.

If you are buying avocados that you plan to eat in the future, choose firm, well-shaped fruit with a full neck and no bruises. Put them in a paper bag and close it. If you keep the bag in a warm, dry place, the avocados will be perfect in three to four days.

Peak of the season:

January is the month in which you will find the best prices on avocados. Summer varieties are available from June through August. The worst time to buy avocados is in September.

Nutritional value:

Avocados are high in fat, but they are a good source of protein, Vitamins A, C and E, Iron and the B Complex vitamins, especially Niacin. An average avocado will contain from 300 to 340 calories and around 30 grams of fat.

General information:

It is difficult to judge the ripeness of avocados by their color because this will vary with the variety. Hass avocados, the most popular summer variety, are usually small with a wrinkly dark-green skin that turns a brownish-purple when ripe. Fuete are large and elongated with a thin, smooth dark-green skin. Napal can be nearly round with a smooth green skin turning reddish-brown as they ripen. Ettinger are large, oblong-shaped with a shiny, bright-green skin.