THERE’S A NEW AVOCADO VARIETY ON THE WAY

There’s a new variety of avocados on the way called “Luna”, and there are several major improvements over the now-prevalent Hass avocados.  For starters, the skin of the Luna avocados changes colour when it’s ripe, from emerald green to dark black, so you don’t have to guess when it’s ready.

The Luna also has a “smoother” texture, which is ideal for guacamole.  That said, even though Hass avocados can be infuriating when it comes to ripeness, a lot of people LOVE the taste.  So for a new variety to take over, experts say the taste will have to be equal or better.

And don’t get too excited yet, the Luna has been the result of decades of breeding, but it’ll probably be a few more years before it shows up in stores.  With avocados, it takes three to five years from planting a seed to producing the first fruit.

The real question is:  Does it have a bigger window of ripeness?  They say the Luna has a “good post-harvest shelf life”, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

Interesting Fact:  80% of the avocados eaten worldwide are Hass avocados, and they make up a whopping 95% of the avocados eaten in the U.S.

The Hass emerged in the 1980s, before that, the preferred variety was the “Fuerte,” a.k.a. “Strong.”  The Hass won out because of its taste, it was easier to peel, and Fuerte trees only produced fruit every two years.