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Avocado, also alligator pear, common name for a tree native to tropical America,
and for the fruit of this tree. The fruit is a greenish, thick-skinned drupe,
similar in size and shape to a large pear.
When ripe, the flesh has the consistency of firm butter and a faint nutlike
flavor. It has a high fat content, containing 10 to 20 percent oil, and is rich
in protein.
In the United States avocado is popular as a salad vegetable, and in the tropics
it is often used in soup. The tree is extensively cultivated in the southern
United States and California.
How to Store:
To ripen, keep avocados at room temperature for three to 10 days. To
speed ripening, place avocados in a brown paper bag, or use a fruit
ripening bowl. Ripe avocado can be stored in the warmest part of the
refrigerator for several days.
Basic Nutritional Facts
· "California Avocados Commission"
· High Fat content (10 to 20% oil)
· High Protien content
· Sodium-free
· Cholesterol-free
Detailed nutritional informatin can be found by searching the
USDA Nutritional Database
. Enter "Avocado" (no quotes) as the keyword and select the link and report of
interest.
Scientific classification:
The avocado tree belongs to the family Lauraceae. It is classified as Persea
americana.
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