Thanks to the work of the late Aunty Peggy Mascarenhas of Sonarbhat, we now know that avocados grow in Saligao. And often they grow well too.
We have a couple of trees in our yard, one of which bears fruit (it takes five to seven years to fruit). For more on the fruit, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado Avocado (Persea americana) is a tree and the fruit of that tree, classified in the flowering plant family, Lauraceae. It is native to Central America and Mexico. The tree grows to 20 m (65 ft), with alternately arranged, evergreen leaves, 12-25 cm long. The flowers are inconspicuous, greenish-yellow, 5-10 mm wide. The pear-shaped fruit is botanically a berry or drupe, from 7 to 20 cm long, and weighs between 100-1000 g. It has a large central seed, 3-5 cm in diameter. An average avocado tree produces about 120 avocados annually. Commercial orchards produce an average of 7 tonnes per hectare each year, with some orchards achieving 20 tonnes per hectare (FAO statistics). Biennial bearing can be a problem, with heavy crops in one year being followed by poor yields the next. The fruit is sometimes called an avocado pear or alligator pear, due to its shape and rough green skin. The avocado tree does not tolerate freezing temperatures, and so can be grown only in subtropical and tropical climates. The fruit of horticultural cultivars range from more or less round to egg or pear-shaped, typically the size of a temperate-zone pear or larger, on the outside bright green to green-brown (or almost black) in color. Though the fruit does have a markedly higher fat content than most other fruits, most of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated fat, which is considered healthy in the human diet. A whole medium avocado contains approximately 25% of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are also rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and K. The flesh is typically greenish yellow to golden yellow when ripe. The flesh oxidizes and turns brown quickly after exposure to air. To prevent this, lime or lemon juice can be added to avocados after they are peeled; vitamin C in the juice acts as an antioxidant. The avocado is very popular in vegetarian cuisine, making an excellent substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content. The fruit is not sweet, but fatty, strongly flavored, and of smooth, almost creamy texture. It is used as the base for the Mexican dip known as guacamole, as well as a filling for several kinds of sushi, including California rolls. Avocado is popular in chicken dishes and as a spread on toast, served with salt and pepper. In Brazil and Vietnam, avocados are frequently used for milk-shakes and occasionally added to ice cream. In the Philippines, a dessert drink is made with sugar, milk, and pureed avocado. In Central America, avocados are served mixed with white rice. The fruit are also pressed for avocado oil production. In Chile it is often used in Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and celery salads. We currently have some avocado seeds at home. If you would like to plant it in your garden, please drop in a pick up a couple. FN -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Frederick Noronha http://fn.goa-india.org 9822122436 +91-832-240-9490 4000+ copylefted photos to share from Goa http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/ _______________________________________________ Saligao 403511 website http://saligao.goa-india.org Saligaonet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goacom.org/mailman/listinfo/saligaonet
