If you germinate a seed, the 10-year-old will collect its fruits, but if you buy a grafted one you will have them in a few months
The avocado has been living together as one of us for a while, in salads, sandwiches and even in Mexican guacamole that who else who has learned the least how to prepare. And that 20 years ago was almost unknown. Spaniards eat an average of one kilo of this fruit per year and we are also the largest producers in Europe, especially in Malaga. But world demand is such – Europe consumed more than 650 million kilos in 2018, 140 million more than in 2017 and growing – that this product is called ‘green gold’, also ‘superfood’ and ‘vegan meat’ (it has 1.9 grams of protein per 100 grams).
The ‘superfood’ is for totally justified reasons, as explained by Dr. Giuseppe Russolillo, president of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. «Two things make avocado a healthy food: bioactive substances or plant phytochemicals, present in the plant world and produced by plants to defend themselves against viruses, molds, bacteria, fungi and even adverse weather conditions, such as lack of water. .. When the plant feels threatened it produces these substances that confer color, aroma and we have seen that they have antioxidant effects and prevent us from numerous pathologies. In second place we have fats; avocado is a fruit but it is classified within the group of fatty foods, along with vegetable oils such as olive or sunflower and nuts, because almost 50% of its weight is monounsaturated fat, especially, like olive oil, and polyunsaturated. These two things make this fruit a very healthy and nutritious food.
Interesting fat
On the other hand, points out Russolillo, there is the fact that, in view of the quantities we consume, it is a product that we like a lot: «It is precisely because of that 50% of fats that they offer palatability, that is, what makes make it nice when we eat it. Non-fatty foods are more difficult on the palate. Therefore, that is what makes it so rich and tasty in salads, guacamole or in any preparation.
Its high caloric content (160 kilocalories per 100 grams), adds the specialist, equates it to the consumption of nuts and olive oil, not that of other fruits such as pear (57), apple (52) or even banana ( 89).
The problem is that the growth of production to satisfy this avocado fever is causing serious problems in many of the countries with the greatest ‘avocado’ tradition: environmental organizations in Chile and Mexico, two of the largest producers worldwide, reveal that « For every kilo of product, about 2,000 liters of water are needed, four times more than oranges and ten times more than tomatoes ”, which means a shortage of water for other uses, and they denounce the deforestation of their lands, which aggravates the Environmental crisis.
Plant one
Therefore, the option of growing our own avocados does not seem far-fetched. Although it is not that simple. Íñigo Segurola, landscaper, agricultural technical engineer and known for his section in the television program ‘Bricomanía’, explains that from avocado bones “the plant comes out super well. The bone has a rounder part and a pointed part. Well, the tip should be up, you can put it in a glass held with three sticks so that the round part remains in the water and the seed begins to open, the roots come out and the stem pulls up. Although it can also be done as if it were a little egg, bury it halfway in a pot, and it would come out without problems. It comes out indoors, but it is better to make it germinate outdoors ».
The expert recommends waiting for the winter to pass, “in spring or summer they grow without problem, almost without wanting to.” He says that he throws a lot of seeds into the compost bin “and a lot of little plants emerge.” Although it is usually prone to pests entering them, “on the balcony they do very well with southern exposure, protected from the cold …”.
“On the balcony, with southern exposure and protected from the cold, it comes out very well, but it can be a houseplant”
Now, you have to be patient because if we want to harvest an avocado from there “we will have to wait about 10 or 12 years, until they start to bear fruit.” If we cannot afford that wait, Segurola recommends buying them already grafted. “Avocado trees are sold ready-made at any garden center and usually bloom at the end of winter. If it has tempered soon, even before; the flowers are pollinated and during the summer avocados develop, which must be picked when they are hard. They bear fruit every year.
In the event that we choose to buy avocados in the store, it is not necessary to touch them, as the color does not deceive. If it is light green, it is hard to the touch and takes time to consume. If the green is dark, it will be somewhat hard with some softer part, and it will take a couple of days to reach its optimum point. But if it’s dark brown, it’s ready to eat. We will find it soft, although it should never be excessive.
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