Guacamole, sauces, soups, salads, or even spread directly on toast, however you use it in the kitchen, avocado works well. This fruit gathers fans all over the planet, and at Campos del Abuelo we are no exception.
It's not entirely clear what makes it so irresistible. Is it the texture? That creaminess? Its unique color? The benefits of including it in your diet?
In this article, we will try to find out. We will review its history, cultivation, pollination type, and, of course, the factors that make it a superfood.
So, if you're an avocado fan, let's go! And well… If you're not, you're still invited; who knows, maybe you'll be convinced to give it another chance.
The avocado seed was planted millions of years ago…
We know that every seed, in agriculture, is synonymous with hope. To bear fruit, plants use various resources: some let them fly in the wind, others let them run in the water, and there are even those that cling to animal fur to find the soil where they will grow.
In the case of avocado, its seed is large and can range from 2 to 4 cm in length. But what does this have to do with the heart of the avocado? Well, this plant, from the laurel family (yes, laurel), originated in the period known as the Pleistocene.
The Pleistocene period is famous for being the age of "large mammals." At that time, immense herbivores such as mammoths, giant sloths, and American horses roamed the earth.
According to scientists, the size of the avocado was just right for these animals to eat it whole, transport it inside, and then deposit it —well fertilized— in another place, ensuring its survival.
For science, the avocado is defined as an "anachronistic" fruit because it did not evolve correctly, as there are currently no animals that can eat it whole and transport the seed inside.
Luckily, we, its fans, are here to continue eating it, and, of course, our farmers are here to care for them and ensure they grow healthy, strong, and delicious.
From sprouting in America to growing worldwide
We already know that avocado was around before us, but most sources cite its origin in Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. Others say it also existed north of Guatemala.
What is certain is that its name comes from a Nahuatl word, “ahuacatl,” which means “tree testicles.” Nahuatl is an indigenous language still spoken in Mexico, specifically in Puebla, where avocado tree remains dating back 10,000 years were found.
Let's fast forward in time and history. Avocado began its true expansion when the first Spaniards who arrived in America succumbed to its color, taste, and creaminess.
As a true fan, I can only imagine that first time tasting an avocado; it must have been quite something. As I said, thanks to the Spanish, in the year 1600, Persea Americana —as it is scientifically known— began to travel.
The 70s and 80s saw the craze for the well-known "green gold" in the United States, with great production in the California area. Years later, in 1993, that country also allowed the entry of Mexican avocados.
In the case of our continent, European Union studies affirm that between 2000 and 2017, the consumption of this fruit quadrupled. In addition, its cultivation and commercialization continue to grow.
Wow! What a journey this wonderful fruit has made to reach Spain. Now, from Campos del Abuelo, we invite you to learn some facts about avocado in Spain and how it is cultivated by Javier, our fellow farmer.
Avocado cultivation in Spain: its cycle, trees, and varieties
More than 18,000 hectares of avocado are cultivated in Spain. Most of the production is located in Andalusia, with plantations in Malaga, Granada, Cadiz, and Huelva. Then come Valencia, the Canary Islands, and finally, Tenerife.
Fruit harvests depend on the variety and climate. As we saw when reviewing its history, it prefers so-called tropical climates, meaning temperate and warm. However, over time, various varieties have emerged that adapt to less warm climates.
In the Spanish case, avocado cultivation has an annual cycle. The beginning of flowering – that fantastic moment when the plant produces new shoots – occurs between March and April. At this time, in April, our beloved avocado trees are full of flowers that will later drop to give birth to fruits.
By mid-June, where there were flowers, there will be small avocados. Each one will fight to obtain all the necessary nutrients from the water, sun, and earth. By summer and autumn, the fruits will grow and look like we know them in our homes.
Avocado fruits, or "palta" as they are known in Latin America, do not ripen on the tree; rather, they do so once they have been harvested. In turn, harvesting depends on each variety.
But before we dive into the varieties, I invite you to learn more about the tree that houses them, walking with Javier through an avocado field.
Getting to know the trees up close with our fellow farmer Javier
Javier walks proudly through the field. When asked about the size of his trees, he replies: "Avocado trees can grow very tall, but they are pruned to keep them under control.
First, because if the avocados are too high, you can't pick them, and second, so that the quality of the fruit is good. These are ten years old, and we keep planting more."
Some of their green leaves shine in the morning sun. Where large avocados now hang, there were once small, slightly yellow and slightly green flowers.
Javier stops under one of his trees, picks up a fruit, weighs it in his hand, and tells us: "This tree starts bearing fruit 3 years after being planted. Once it starts, it doesn't stop."
We are eager to keep talking to him, to have him share his wisdom with us... So we ask him about the harvest: "It's done with short scissors. The fruit doesn't ripen on the tree, but rather it's picked when the avocado has the right amount of fat. It's not picked earlier simply because the fat isn't well developed; if you pick it earlier, it won't finish ripening off the tree."
Taking advantage of the moment, and speaking of ripe avocados... If you need help knowing how to ripen your avocados naturally we recommend you read this article. You will find some tips and very simple steps to follow. But let's continue, we are still in Javier's field.
In the shade of his avocado trees, and with the fruit still in his hand, he adds: "That's what happens in many countries; it's picked for export, it might arrive here, stay hard, and never ripen... and, even worse, when it does ripen, it turns black." At Campos del Abuelo, we make sure that doesn't happen so that it reaches the consumer's table from the field at its perfect point.
Avocado is a climacteric fruit. Climacteric fruits are those that continue to ripen once they are separated from the tree, like bananas, for example. What's curious about avocado is that it falls into this group, but it needs to be harvested to ripen. In other words: its ripening begins, without fail, once harvested.
Harvest time depends on the variety, but to understand it better, we have Javi's words: "The Bacon avocado variety is harvested first, then comes Pinkerton, then Hass, and finally Lamb Hass. That depends on each fruit, but if you distribute the varieties well, you have avocados all year round."
That sounds great, having avocados all year round, doesn't it? Our tour with our fellow farmer isn't over yet; we have a few more questions to ask...
How they are sown and how an avocado tree is made to bear fruit
Javier walks among his avocado trees, reaches out, parts the leaves, and looks at the fruits. In all that he has told us, important details are still missing, and how avocado is sown is one of them.
So we ask him. Javi pulls a branch closer and tells us: "A hole is made in the ground with a machine that is like a drill. The small avocado plant is inserted into the hole, and a mesh is placed around it.
That is, you have the root covered, the stem of the small tree, and a mesh surrounding it. This mesh stays on the outside and acts as protection; it keeps rabbits from eating anything, or if you're working with heavy tools, the tree is protected. Then it's a matter of feeding it water.
To better illustrate Javi's words, you can see the process in the following photos:
In this first image, we see the hole already prepared, and in our farmer's hand, we see "peat." Peat is a compost made of different organic materials that is placed at the bottom of the hole. This type of soil helps the roots unlock, grow stronger, and more quickly.
Then the plant is placed on top and covered with sand, as we see in this second image. We must bear in mind that it is a baby plant and needs its care.
In this third photo, the small tree has the mesh around it, which, as Javier told us, serves to protect this newly planted avocado tree. Additionally, the black tubes you see around are the drippers; they need to be watered initially because they arrive dry, and we need them to take root well.
Alright, now that the avocado tree planting process is clear, let's continue, because our farmer has more information to give us about avocado trees...
Another piece of information Javier gives us directly from the field is that you have to be careful with the sun: "When it's very hot, they suffocate and die. Last year, many died from the heat. You have to be very careful."
We continue among the avocado trees, and even though the flowers are now fruits, Javier talks to us about them: "Every year, when the avocado starts to grow, it produces a flower. From that flower comes the avocado. When you see many flowers, it means many fruits, but it's not good because if the tree is overloaded with flowers, many small avocados are produced, and people want them bigger and tastier."
He explains intently that strong competition arises because the tree has to distribute all its vigor and strength —which are limited— among too many avocados. Therefore, he says, you don't end up getting a good avocado:
The interesting thing is that it should be balanced. When there are too many flowers, it's a problem, so we start removing the ones that are coming out, so that the tree focuses on the rest and ends up producing large and good avocados. With too many flowers, the tree loses strength, the leaves fall, leaving it exposed and unprotected from the sun.
In the end, you have an avocado that has no protection and is too small. You have to control the flowers, you have to make sure it produces them but not too many, which is ideal for good avocados.
Growing avocados requires dedication. Something we farmers always keep in mind is that working the land is a job that involves a lot of energy and also a lot of care. Hard work is essential so that these well-cared for, healthy, and strong avocados reach your home.
A final piece of information Javier tells us in his field has to do with how the avocado plant needs to be grafted to bear fruit. Shall we find out what Javi tells us about this process?
In an avocado plant, like an orange, you have the rootstock and the graft. There are no avocado plants by themselves; what you have is the rootstock of an avocado or an orange, and you graft the desired variety onto that rootstock.
Many tourists, for example, have seen orange trees in Valencia laden with fruit. But these oranges are not edible; the trees that bear them are known as "border" trees, meaning they have no graft. It's the same rootstock that has grown and produced a fruit that is not edible.
The rootstock fruit has many seeds that are used to make more "border" trees or rootstock, but you must graft it before it grows and becomes border. The graft depends on the variety. You can put a Bacon, a Pinkerton on the same rootstock; all avocado and orange trees have a graft.
That information, for my part, I didn't have. So now you know: not every tree bears fruit, but they need to be grafted. Now let's continue, adding to Javier's contribution, four key factors for the good growth of avocado trees.
Four factors for avocado trees to grow healthy and strong
Being a tropical fruit, it needs a lot of humidity, so having a good water resource is important for its cultivation. Luckily, in our area, the existence of the Júcar River means that water is not a problem. Another reason why it needs abundant water is that its roots are not very deep. In this article on the water footprint of avocado, we discuss this topic in more depth.
With the exception of some varieties (which we will see below), most avocado trees like a warm-temperate climate. Experts say that the ideal climate ranges between 10º and 30º. The ideal is to avoid abrupt temperature changes between day and night.
Some local producers remember 2005 and 2010 as very difficult seasons for production. Frosts ruined all (yes, all) avocado production in those years, generating millions in losses.
Another important point is to ensure they receive abundant sun for a good part of the day. But let's remember that, as Javier told us, they also need to be protected from extreme heat.
The type of soil also influences: it should not be compact, but easy to drain. Excess humidity can cause diseases in the roots, leaves, branches, and even the fruit itself, lowering its quality.
These four factors are basic for crops not to stress and grow strong and healthy. The last thing we want is for a stressed avocado to reach our home.
As we can see, the world of avocado and its cultivation is very broad and interesting. And we still have a fact about avocados that you probably don't know and will surprise you. Shall we see what it's about?
Avocado cross-pollination
The tree, its branches, flowers, and leaves, hide a functioning that has a scientific explanation, but also, makes us think of magic.
Pollination has a bit of that: seeing a bee with its legs full of yellow pollen, a colorful butterfly crossing our path going from flower to flower, having the luck to see a hummingbird in full flight.
To think that these little bugs and animals that carry and bring pollen are essential for our lives. Now, in the case of avocado, this process is somewhat particular.
To begin to understand this avocado pollination, we must know that we have two types of varieties: A and B. Within group A, for example, we have the Hass variety and within group B the Bacon variety (patience, you will learn more varieties below).
In turn, all avocado trees are hermaphroditic. At one point, their flower is ready to be fertilized, and at another, prepared to fertilize. But (attention) a male and female flower never coexist in a single type of plant. That is why we need both type A and B trees in the same plantation.
This is where the magic appears, because, in terms of two days, the following happens:
- The type A flower on the morning of day 1 is in a female state, but in the afternoon it closes and sleeps. On day 2, it wakes up closed and blooms again in the afternoon, but in a male state.
- The type B flower on the morning of day 1 wakes up closed to open in the afternoon in a female state. On day 2, it opens its petals again in the morning, but in a male state.
In the following graph, you can better see what it's about and understand why they absolutely need each other in their two varieties.
Of course, they not only need each other, but they also need bees and bumblebees, their main pollinators. And now, the time has come to learn about the varieties that our beautiful avocado trees give us.
Hass Avocado, the most popular
The Hass avocado variety is undoubtedly the most well-known worldwide. Not only that, but in Spain, it has the largest number of plantations. Its skin is rough and quite thick, acting as an efficient protector of the pulp, which is one of the characteristics that makes it the most widely distributed avocado type globally. If you want to know why, we invite you to read this article about the Hass variety.
The pulp is not very fibrous and very tasty, which makes it special for, for example, a delicious guacamole. It needs to be protected from frost because it has low cold resistance. Its harvest begins in December and extends until April.
The Bacon variety directly from Californian lands
We saw that avocados like a warm and hot climate. This variety was born in California precisely to create a type of fruit that is more resistant to cold. The Bacon variety can be harvested in the autumn-winter season, which is why in Spain its harvest begins in October.
This is why our farmer Javier names it as the first one to be harvested. The Bacon avocado is characterized by being very creamy, so much so that it is sometimes compared to butter, despite being the avocado with the least fat content. It is dark green, with small white specks that later disappear. Its skin is thinner, making it easy to peel.
The Lamb Hass variety, new in Spain
This avocado is very similar to Hass, as it originated from there. Some farmers claim that the Hass variety is the grandmother of the Lamb Hass. One of their similarities is their harvest season: it begins in December and ends in April. On the other hand, one of the differences is that it is somewhat larger.
Cultivation in Spain is still recent, but producers view favorably the fact that it has a greater possibility of extending its harvest than other varieties, as well as its resistance to cold and wind. The skin of this avocado variety is green at first and then turns black as it ripens for harvest. The seed is smaller, which allows for more fruit to be utilized.
Pinkerton, the soft and irresistible variety
The great creation of Californian John Pinkerton. As we saw with the Bacon avocado, in this case, the cross that gave it birth was between the famous Hass and the Rincón. The Pinkerton avocado reaches maturity between spring and summer, so its harvest begins in November and can extend until March.
This is one of its great benefits for farmers: its harvesting period is extensive. We add two more benefits to this: first, its very high level of productivity as it yields a large quantity of fruit, and second, the tree size is rather discreet, growing up to 4 meters in height and width.
All avocados have been compared to pears at some point; well, the Pinkerton is the one most compared due to its elongated shape. The skin, unlike others, is greenish and peels easily because it is very thin.
Inside, the pulp it offers is creamy and smooth. Like the previous variety, it has a small pit, so much of the fruit can be enjoyed. The green color of the avocado's interior is very close to the skin, while it gradually turns yellow towards the center.
I don't know about you, but I'm craving some good guacamole. We're almost at the end of this journey about this tropical delight. For the final stretch, we're going to discover the benefits of including avocado in your daily diet.
Superfood, super avocado
- One of the most popular benefits of our avocado friend is that it contains monounsaturated fats, also known as “good fats.” They are called this because they help lower blood cholesterol levels.
- It is rich in minerals such as potassium and magnesium. It has even more potassium than a banana.
- Another positive point for our beloved avocado is that it provides large amounts of fiber, giving a feeling of fullness after eating it.
- Vitamins abound in it: it has vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant), vitamin C, and vitamin B6.
- Finally, it has been used in treatments for skin diseases such as psoriasis, yielding highly positive results.
The avocado journey has come to an end for now. I hope this article - from fan to fan - has left you happy and eager to eat at least one or two avocados.
Remember, Campos del Abuelo avocados are sent to your home once harvested at their optimal fat content, so to eat them at their perfect point, they must go through the ripening process. Therefore, we recommend this article where we tell you how to ripen your avocados naturally.
In my case, I already have one at its ideal point to enjoy with tender garlic and lemon. Well, as I said above, if you're not in the fan club, I hope you at least give this green-yellow delight another chance.
At Campos del Abuelo, you can get top-quality avocado and a variety of fruits and vegetables directly from the farmer, starting from 1 kilo and without any post-harvest chemicals.
Until next time and thanks for reading!
