AVO-INFO 
At La Morena we not only LOVE avocados but we want to share our love for this delicious berry with you. That's right, not only is an avocado a fruit, but it's also a berry because it has fleshy pulp and a seed! 

Learn more about the availability, ripening process and history of the avocado below!

AVAILABILITY

La Morena's avocado are available all-year due to favorable growing conditions in both California and Mexico. Due to Mexico's rich volcanic soil and a wide range of elevations that support hass avocado production, avocados imports from Mexico to the U.S. are allowed year-round. California's climate and vast growing region allows significant avocado production for the majority of the year, from January to October. We receive avocados from all across these regions and pack and sell them under conventional, organic and Fairtrade labels.

Mexico's Growing Season:              Year-Round
California's Growing Season:         January to October

RIPENESS 

At La Morena we guarantee our customers only the freshest, most delicious avocados. Our fruits are carefully selected at the peak of maturity and pre-ripened before their distribution so they ripen just in time for you. We deliver avocados to our retailers at stage 3 or 4 ripeness so they're immediately ready for you to enjoy. 
COLOR
Unripened fruit is usually a lighter green color, while ripe fruit is dark green or nearly black. However, a uniform softness is a better indicator of an avocado's ripeness.
STORAGE 
Stage 2-4 fruit can be held at room temperature (65°-70°) to continue ripening. Stage 4-5 fruit can be stored at 35°-40° for up to one week.
HISTORY
Researchers believe that Mesoamerican tribes were the first to domesticate the avocado tree nearly 5,000 years ago in modern-day southern Mexico. The avocado was extremely important among the indigenous people of ancient Mesoamerica, as the fruit provided numerous nutrients and sustenance. 

By the 16th century the fruit had spread throughout Central and South America and had made its way across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe with Spanish explorers.






Though the avocado enjoyed moderate popularity in the United States in the 1800s it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that avocados were introduced as a popular ingredient in salads. That combined with the rising love for Mexican cuisine and with the fruit being recognized as a source of un-saturated ‘good’ fat, allowed avocados to successfully affirm their place as an American dietary staple. 

Today, the U.S. accounts for 79% of avocados exported from Mexico and is the largest consumer of avocados in the world.


The name avocado derives the Nahuatl world 'ahuacatl', meaning ‘testicle’ due to a resemblance between the fruit and the body part. An early English name for the fruit was ‘avocado pear’ which was misinterpreted as ‘alligator pear’ due to the fruit’s alligator skin-like texture. 

The less-appetizing name stuck until a marketing effort from American avocado growers in the early 1900s successfully changed the name back to avocado. In India, the fruit is sometimes called the ‘butter fruit’ due to the buttery texture of the avocado’s meat.