By Carolyn Twesten, Weaver Street Market Produce Merchandiser
Mexican avocados are in peak season! Now is the best time to include rich, creamy avocado goodness in your meals wherever you can. Avocados are available year round like most agricultural commodities these days, but January through March is the best time of year for flavor. It is during this time that the fruit has developed higher oil content, resulting in that buttery flavor and texture that we all love.
Fair Trade Avocados
Our fair trade avocados are sourced from PRAGOR, a grower cooperative in the Michoacan Province of Mexico. PRAGOR comprises 22 small farms of 40 acres or fewer, all certified organic.
Michoacan is referred to as the avocado capital of the world. But powerful corporate interests put avocado growers at a disadvantage. Many avocado farmers have no choice but to sell their fruit to large agribusinesses, having no say over what price they receive for their products. These corporations own the packing houses that determine the grade of the fruit, often claiming more fruit as sub-standard so that the growers get paid even less.
Even with all of these barriers, the growers of PRAGOR persevered. They organized as a cooperative and negotiate their own prices, finding their own buyers in the United States. They found one of the few independently owned packing houses and ship their avocados there, even though it is several hours drive for most of the growers. This packing facility, having no incentive to grade the fruit sub-standard, grades more of the avocados as grade A making the higher return worth the drive for the growers.
Weaver Street Market purchases these avocados direct from Equal Exchange, the importing partner for Pragor. We buy them by the pallet in order to get the best price for our customers while paying a fair price to the growers, so you can feel good making your next batch of guacamole!
A Healthy Fruit
Although most of the calories in an avocado come from fat, don’t shy away! Avocados are full of healthy, mono- and polyunsaturated fats that can improve heart health, lower cholesterol, and help to keep you feeling full and satiated. Eating fat slows the breakdown of carbohydrates into sugar, which helps to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Not to mention the fact that they contain 7 grams of fiber per 3.5 oz serving (half an avocado)—27% the recommended daily amount. Avocados are also high in vitamins K and C, potassium, and folate. Their creamy deliciousness can add body to dressings in place of dairy products and even be a base for a chocolaty mousse!
One of my favorite ways to eat avocados is in mango avocado salsa:
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 mango, diced
- ½ small onion, diced (about ¼ cup)
- ½ red pepper, diced (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- juice of ½ lime
- ½ tsp salt, or more to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Goes great with fish tacos!