Avocados: March’s Harvest of the Month

March 18th, 2025

Our March Harvest of the Month food is avocado, and we will feature them on our Friday menus to pair well with our fish tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

 

sliced avocadosAvocado Background
While they are often mistaken for vegetables, avocados are actually a fruit. Avocados come in many different types, with more than 80 varieties grown in California alone. Some, like the popular and most-common Hass variety, see their skin turn dark purple and close to black when ripe. Other varieties, known as “greenskins”, maintain their green color on the skins as they ripen. 

 

Avocados date back nearly 7,00 years to southern Mexico and Colombia.  Originally called ahuacatl by the Aztecs of ancient Mexico, the fruit later became known as aguacate by the Spanish in the 16th century and nicknamed the “alligator pear” by English colonists who mistakenly substituted “alligator” for aguacate and added “pear” for the fruit’s shape. The term aguacate eventually evolved into avocado by Americans who could not pronounce the Spanish.

 

Avocado trees can grow to anywhere between 20 and 80 feet tall. Avocado trees generally take at least five years to bear fruit, and the amount of fruit they produce can vary from year to year. Most modern, commercial avocado farms plant trees that have grafted trees and rootstocks so that they can grow and produce fruit more quickly.

 

Avocado cut open Avocado Tip: Avocado fruit does not ripen on the tree. The fruit falls off of the tree and ripens on the ground. Most commercial avocados today are picked from the tree while unripe and then ripen on store shelves. 

 

Reasons to Eat Avocados

• Avocados are packed with beneficial nutrients. In fact, ½ cup of avocados provides:

 

• Plenty of fiber and monounsaturated fat (monounsaturated fat is a nutrient that helps make cells and absorb certain vitamins)

 

• Significant amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B, folate, potassium, and vitamin K

 

• Riboflavin, magnesium, niacin, and vitamin E

 

 

Harvest of the Month logoHarvest of the Month Resources
Learn more about avocado with your class during a Harvest of the Month activity. You can download our Harvest of the Month resources for families here. 

 

Harvest of the Month is available for any classroom that wants to participate. If your child’s teacher wants to sign up for the program, it’s easy. For more information about the program, classroom tasting parties, and more, email Aleeza Hendershot.

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