what's happened to avocados?

[grasswire]

Lately I've noticed that the Haas avocados have little fibers near the skin, in the flesh. That was never the case until the last -- oh -- six months or so.

Has anyone else noticed this? I don't like it.

[spinbaby]

1. Ours haven't changed

Maybe you're getting a different variety?

[Dora]

2. I find those sometimes.

I've always attributed it to the picking age of the avocado, but it's just a guess.

[kestrel91316]

3. I wouldn't mind fibers. What I DO mind is a tasteless, un-butter-y Haas.

I just had one. WHAT THE HELL??? We grow them right here. How can they mess them up? If I had wanted a tasteless, watery avocado I'd just buy a Fuerte and be done with it.

[yellerpup]

4. That's an aging avacado.

Those little fibers are the beginnings of root systems. When I get them I return the avacado to the store and get a refund or a fresh avacado.

[grasswire]

6. root systems!

That makes sense.

This means they were kept in cold storage too long, I guess. Because if they were left on the tree too long, they would ripen before they got from Mexico ! to my supermarket. Must be why they have been cheaper lately.

[yellerpup]

8. Yep, watch those sale avocados this time of year.

They buy a gazillion for the superbowl, and as you say keep them in cold storage for too long. March is about the end of any hope the store has of selling them as food. They should have put them on sale while they were still good. :hi:

[flamin lib]

5. It has to be something about picking age or handling because

all Hass avocados come from the same tree and are genetically identical. Like apples, avocados reproduce sexually so no seed will produce a plant identical to the parent tree. Every Haas avocado comes from a tree grafted from the original tree growing in Mr. Haas' back yard.

Same goes for Delicious, Granny Smith and all the other varieties of apples.

Strange, huh?

[murphymom]

7. I know the industry has taken some hits the last couple of years

Last year it was the fires down in the San Diego area, the year before it was the freeze. Maybe more less-than-premium fruit is getting marketed as a result?