9 Fun Facts About Alligator Pears (uhh Avocados!)

1. A nickname for avocados are alligator pears.

   For obvious reasons! The outer shell is green and scaly and it’s shaped similar to a pear. This nickname is actually more fun than the real name. Hopefully it will stick 🙂

   

2. Avocados are a fruit! More specifically, a berry.

   While it may seem more like a vegetable, avocados are a single seeded berry that are classified as a fruit. So put the fruit vs vegetable debate to bed and leave that for the tomato.

   

3. Avocados are toxic to many animals.

   If consumed by horses, goats, cattle or birds the effects of eating an avocado can be toxic, causing major distress. While dogs and cats will most likely get no more than an unsettled stomach, avocado is not a food that should be fed to pets or other animals.

   

4. Ready to get nerdy? The scientific name for an avocado is Persea Americana

   Save this tidbit for your next round of trivia. Avocados are part of the Lauraceae family, which is comprised of over 3,000 species of flowering plants, most of which grow in warm tropical regions.

   
   source

5. There is a variety of avocado called the bacon avocado.

   Does it taste like bacon? Unfortunately no, this a hybrized avocado variety was invented by Mr. James Bacon in 1954, hence the name. The bacon avocado has benefits for avocado growers, because it can withstand lower temperatures before showing freeze damage. The bacon avocado has a smooth green skin that is thin and easy to peel with a medium sized seed.

   

6. Avocados have more potassium than a banana & plenty of fiber.

   There are approximately 10 grams of fiber in a medium sized avocado. This health food is also gluten-free and cholesterol free!

   

7. Avocados are the Aztec symbol for love and fertility.

    

8. You can substitute avocado for butter in your baking recipes.

   To use mashed avocado in place of the butter, but cut the butter measurements in half. For example, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter, use 1/4 cup of mashed avocado.

   

9. An Avocado trees take of 5-7 years to grow mature enough to create fruit

   Avocados mature on the tree, but won’t ripen until it is picked or falls off the tree. In order to ripen correctly, the avocados must be fully matured.

10. There are hundreds of types of avocados, which have different shapes, colors and flavors.

    While there are endless varieties in nature, most people eat the hass variety of avocados which is approximately 95% of the avocado crop each year. In case you were curious, here’s a list of many of the varieties  of avocados grown in California:

    -Bacon Avocado
    -Fuerte Avocado
    -Gwen Avocado
    -Hass Avocado
    -Lamb Hass Avocado
    -Pinkerton Avocado
    -Reed Avocado
    -Zutano Avocado

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauraceae
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/avocado
http://www.californiaavocado.com/how-tos/avocado-varieties.aspx