When Are Avocados in Season?

Thanks to orchards in different altitudes across South America, Central America, and here in the United States in California and Florida, we are all blessed to have fresh avocados year-round. 

Many avocados come from Michoacán, Mexico, however, which has four overlapping blooms seasons in which the fruits are harvested:

• Loca (June-September)
• Aventajada (September-October)
• Normal (September-February)
• Marzena (March-June)

In the US specifically, avocado season runs from April through August in California and June through January in Florida, which is why you can count on quality avocados at any time throughout the year. Although shoppers have continual access, sales tend to see the biggest uptick in winter, along with a slight increase mid-to-late summer.

Putting together your shopping list for the week? Fetch can help you pick the freshest produce, give you tips for recipes, and earn you rewards on all your grocery purchases. Don’t have Fetch yet? Download the app today to turn your groceries into gift cards!

Turn Your Produce Into Points & Earn Rewards With Fetch Shop 

You’re already adding fresh produce to your grocery list each week, so why not get something in return for choosing to eat healthy? With Fetch Shop, you’ll earn points per dollar on the purchases you make at select stores when placing your order through the app, which means the more fruit and veggies you add to your list, the more rewards you’ll earn. Whether you’re getting groceries delivered from Uber Eats, scheduling a grocery pickup at Target using their Drive Up service, or stocking up for a big get-together shopping online at Sam’s Club, you can turn your produce into Fetch points that can be redeemed for free gift cards when grocery shopping with Fetch Shop.

To earn rewards on fresh produce with Fetch Shop:

1. Download Fetch.
2. Open the app, and navigate to Fetch Shop; on your “Discover” (home) tab, you’ll find the Fetch Shop icon directly to the left of the camera icon at the bottom of your screen.
3. Once in Fetch Shop, scroll to the “Food & Drink” category, click where it says, “See all,” then find the grocery retailer of your choice, and select that store.
4. Tap “Go shopping!” and then simply grocery shop online as you would normally. And don’t forget to add those fruits and veggies to your cart to rack up even more points!

Is Avocado a Stone Fruit?

Contrary to popular belief, avocados are not stone fruits. Avocados are fleshy fruits, which fall into two categories: drupes and berries. It might surprise you that they meet all the criteria of a berry! As avocados are fleshy throughout, they don’t qualify as stone fruits, which have a fleshy exterior and a hard pit like peaches.

What Do Avocados Taste Like?

The taste of avocados varies depending on its ripeness. Unripe avocados will taste bitter and be hard to bite into. Ripe avocados have a creamy and buttery quality, with mild flavors like nuttiness and earthiness. Some stages of ripeness can have a slight sweetness as well.

How to Pick Ripe Avocados at the Grocery Store

Whether you’re planning to make guacamole or you simply want some fresh sliced avocado to level up a sandwich, you’re going to want to make sure you’re picking ripe avocados if you’re planning to use them soon.

Here are some telltale signs of ripe avocados:

• Slight Give: If the avocado is hard, it’s not ripe. You should feel some give when you gently squeeze the avocado.
• Bumpy Skin: Although you don’t want one that’s too bumpy (which can be a sign of overripeness), a ripe avocado will have bumpy, not smooth, skin.
• Dark Green-Black Coloring: If the avocado is bright green, it’s not ripe yet. You want an avocado that is dark green, bordering on black in color.

How to Store Whole Avocados

Having access to avocados year-round is pretty glorious, but how should whole avocados be stored so they can be enjoyed at their best? The blanket recommendation is to store them on your counter at room temperature. Avoid storing avocados in a bag as that will trap the natural ethylene gas and speed up the ripening process. I

If you’re trying to slow the ripening process, it’s recommended that you store whole avocados in the refrigerator. If your avocado is already ripe, place the uncut avocado in an airtight storage container, or in the produce drawer. That should ensure freshness for about two weeks, give or take, depending on how ripe it was going in.

How to Store Avocados Once You Cut Them

Once cut, avocados will immediately start to lose freshness. Always refrigerate your cut avocados to slow the ripening and browning, and if possible, keep the skin and pit intact. You will want to cover with plastic wrap directly over the flesh to stave off brown discoloration for up to two days!

How to Ripen Avocados

While it can feel like avocados become overripe by the next business day after purchase, sometimes we pick one that is stubbornly not ready-to-eat. Thankfully, you can speed up this natural process! To ripen an avocado, place it in a paper bag with another piece of fruit (like an apple or banana), and fold it closed. This will trap ethylene, a natural plant hormone, and speed up ripening. If you don’t have another piece of fruit, simply put your avocado in the closed bag and you will still expedite the process.

Can Dogs Eat Avocados?

The Fetch Fam cares too much about our furry friends to say that dogs can safely eat a Tuesday taco with guac. That’s because avocados contain persin, a fungicidal toxin that can cause serious health problems, and even lead to death. It’s true that dogs may be more resistant to persin than other animals, but it is not known how much persin they can safely consume. We think it’s best to avoid giving avocado to your dog altogether.

Shake Up Your Meal Plans With These Easy Avocados Recipes

Avocados are a versatile, nutritious fruit, and they sure know how to enhance a simple meal. Check out these easy recipes, which we think are perfect to throw in the rotation when meal-planning and shopping for one person:

How to Make an Avocado Smoothie

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup cubed frozen pineapple
• 2 cups packed fresh spinach, or 1 cup frozen spinach
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 frozen banana
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus 1/2 teaspoon zest
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• pinch of sea salt
• 8 ice cubes
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder*, optional

Recipe:

1. Combine all your ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. We recommend pulsing your ingredients a few times at first, to prevent the chunky fruit from getting stuck in your blades. 
2. Taste your avocado smoothie and adjust the sweetness to your liking. You can also add more or less coconut milk depending on your preferred consistency.

How to Make Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled & pitted
• 3–4 tomatillos (fresh or canned), husks removed & rinsed if using fresh
• 1/4–1/3 cup white onion or sweet onion
• 1/4–1 jalapeño
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (add to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (add to taste)
• Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 Tablespoon)
• 3–4 Tablespoons water
• Optional: 1/4 tsp. cumin, 1 4 oz mild green chiles

Recipe: 

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and pureed throughout.
2. Give your salsa taste test and adjust salt, lime juice, or other optional ingredients as desired.
3. Give a final blend if anything is added, and store your avocado salsa in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

How to Make an Avocado Toast

Ingredients: 

• 1 slice of your preferred bread (we love Bimbo and Sara Lee!)
• ½ ripe avocado
• Pinch of salt
• Your favorite add-ons (optional): we suggest a runny egg, sliced tomatoes and balsamic or red pepper flakes!

Recipe:

1. Toast your bread until firm, and to your desired level of golden (or burnt, we don’t judge).
2. Remove the pit of your avocado and scoop the flesh into a bowl. 
3. Mash with a fork until smooth (leave chunks if you prefer). Add salt to taste while mashing.
4. Spread avocado mixture evenly on your toast, and add your toppings!

Enjoy!

Get Rewarded for Grocery Shopping With the Fetch App

Grocery shopping and cooking is enough work as it is, so adding budgeting to the mix is stress you don’t need. Let the Fetch grocery app help you plan budget recipes, and earn free gift cards as a bonus. Download Fetch, snap your grocery receipts in the app, and start earning rewards today!