Maria Stewart, PhD, is an assistant professor in nutrition at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. After seeing imported avocados lining grocery store shelves, she applied for and received a grant, which resulted in the Choose Hawaii-Grown Avocados campaign. “The
Maria Stewart, PhD, is an assistant professor in nutrition at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. After seeing imported avocados lining grocery store shelves, she applied for and received a grant, which resulted in the Choose Hawaii-Grown Avocados campaign.
“The goal of the project is to help educate consumers about the nutritional properties of Hawaii-grown avocados,” says Stewart, “and encourage them to buy local avocados. In the state of Hawaii, about 75 percent of the avocados we consume are imported.”
What’s growing now
According to a College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources University of Hawaii at Manoa report entitled “Hawaii Avocado Industry Analysis,” production data collected in 2006 and 2007, show “Sharwil” as the most cultivated (45 percent of total local production), followed by “Malama” (21 percent), “Yamagata” (11 percent), “Murashige” (3 percent), and local “Hass” (0.9 percent).
The report includes a 2007 survey, in which a total of 36 chefs and 292 consumers were asked to evaluate local avocado varieties and compare them to the imported Hass avocado. Chefs and consumers indicated a preference for “Kahaluu,” “Malama”, and “Linda” over “Sharwil” and the imported “Hass.”
Hawaii-grown avocados
Buying local avocados supports Hawaii’s agriculture and the local economy. Long-distance shipping and lengthy storage time depletes flavor and nutritional value in produce. Local avocados are nutrient-dense, fresh and flavorful. Look for local avocados at Costco, health food stores and farmers markets.
Season: Since some of the cultivars listed above are available in the fall and winter months, and others are available in the spring through summer, Hawaii has the potential to supply desirable avocados year-round.
What to look for
Avocado varieties show different ripening characteristics. Some have green skin, which turns dark purple when ripe, while others stay green when ripe. Most will give to gentle pressure.
Another way to check for ripeness is to remove the stem and pierce the exposed flesh with a toothpick. If it goes in easily, it’s ripe. If not, replace stem (to protect from air and bugs) and check the next day.
Storage
Immature avocados will ripen if it is left on a counter, out of the direct sunlight, for up to one week.
Check your avocado daily and consume at its peak ripeness. If you won’t be using the entire avocado after it’s been cut, leave the seed intact and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Tip
The Avocado Poster ($25), available on LocalHarvest.com, shows more than 100 varieties that are grown on Hawaii, The Big Island.
Preparation
To open an avocado, cut in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Twist halves apart. Lightly embed knife blade into the seed. Give it a light twist and the seed will pop out. Remove the seed from the knife blade using a paper towel.
While in the shell, cut flesh into 1/4-inch slices and gently scoop out. Add to sandwiches, salads, ceviche, and salsas.
Blend with citrus, herbs and spices for a thick salad dressing; spread on toast and sprinkle with Hawaiian sea salt for a quick snack, or mash with garlic and lime juice and serve with chips. Garnish Chicken Tortilla Soup with avocado cubes or blend with yogurt and cucumber for a chilled soup. Fill depression from seed with crab or tuna salad, chill and serve as a pupu.
Avocado can be used in baking. Since it has more water and less fat than butter, Stewart recommends making test batches since it cannot be swapped out at a 1:1 ratio. Try a chocolate avocado cake with avocado buttercream.
In The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong by and Arnold Hiura, there’s a recipe for Crab and Avocado Tempura with Soy Mustard.
Health benefits
A 1-ounce serving of avocado, or about 1/4 cup, contains 45 calories, 8 percent of our daily value for fiber, 1 percent vitamin A, 5 percent vitamin C and 4 grams of saturated fat.
“Fat is an important part of our diet,” says Stewart. “Unfortunately, our bodies are very good at making fat but there are a couple types that our body can’t make. Two of those are Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which are special fats that we find in lots of foods, including avocados.”
Avocados contain three types of unusual fats—phytosterols, polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs) and oleic acid — that reduce inflammation, lower the risk of heart disease and increase absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like carotenoids.
Recent research has shown that absorption of two key carotenoid antioxidants—lycopene and beta-carotene—increases significantly when fresh avocado (or avocado oil) is added to meals.
Buy local. It matters
“Choose Hawaii-Grown Avocados” is supported by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture contract #61677, USDA Specialty Crops Block Grant-Farm Bill FY12, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources University of Hawaii at Manoa. For more information, email Maria Stewart at mstew@hawaii.edu.
