Avocado Picking / Packing
The Super Fruit, Pick an Avocado while Travelling in Australia.
Avocado or as some may call it Alligator Pear got its name from the Aztec word “ahuacati.” The name alligator pear has been attributed to the leathery appearance of its skin and its pear-like shaped. An avocado tree can grow up to 65 feet in height and an avocado fruit can weigh anywhere between eight ounces and three pounds.
Avocados are tasty and are packed with nutrition. It contains healthy fats also known as monounsaturated fats which can actually help reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in the body. Avocado is a healthy snack because it is protein-packed and is low in sugar. It contains potassium and essential vitamin and minerals – vitamin K, vitamin B9, vitamin B6, vitamin C and vitamin E.
Avocado season in Australia starts in March through December. Avocado plantation in Australia is located in Queensland – Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg-Childers, Atherton Tableland, Tamborine, Toowoomba range and Lockyer Valley. Avocados are also being produced in New South Wales and Western Australia.
There are at least 700 producers of avocado in Australia and they produce 55 tons of avocados in one year. What is amazing is that only 5000 tons of avocados are being exported and the rest is being consumed all over Australia.
There are many varieties of avocado in Australia. The most common varieties are Hass, Sharwill, Wurtz, Reed and Shepard. The Hass variety has an oval shape and it changes color as it ripens – green to purple. The Shepard variety is long and elongated with a glossy skin. This variety doesn’t change in color as it ripens. It always stays green.
Harvesting avocados can be tricky. It is a must that a mature fruit is harvested because when an immature fruit is harvested, it will not ripen. Equipments are needed when harvesting avocados like ladders, poles and platforms.
Here are some tips that you could use if you are interested in working in an avocado plantation:
• Do not harvest avocados when it’s raining because it might cause some damage to the fruit.
• It is also not a good idea to harvest avocado when the weather is extremely hot.
• During harvest, cut the avocado from the stalk but make sure to leave three to four millimeters of stalk.
• Remember to put the harvested avocados in a cool and shaded area.
• Do not forget to test if the fruit is ready for harvest. Hold the avocado on the palm of your hand and give it a gentle squeeze. If the fruit gives in with a little bit of pressure, it means that the fruit is ready to be picked.
• Do not press the fruit with your finger because it will cause bruising and discoloration.
• If the variety of the avocado has a thick skin, it is not easy to determine if the fruit is ready. The alternative method that you can use is the “toothpick method.” It is done by inserting the toothpick into the small opening at the bottom of the fruit. If the toothpick goes through and the flesh of the fruit is soft, then it is ready for harvest.
