Author Topic: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???  (Read 3428 times)

Avoman

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Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« on: September 14, 2022, 06:27:34 PM »
Now that Aravaipa been avail for several years who can report on fruit taste and good and bad of tree habits.cold and heat alternate bearing etc ?
« Last Edit: September 14, 2022, 06:42:30 PM by Avoman »

Avoman

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Re: Aravapia Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2022, 06:35:22 PM »
Found this picture in internet the fruit seems on the small side with seed taking up flesh space.


Avoman

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Re: Aravapia Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2022, 06:40:42 PM »
A fairly recent you tube video the grower said he liked the taste, I'm trying to get a few more opinions.Ive got some small trees but a long time before I will know first hand.

spaugh

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2022, 07:02:35 PM »
That fruit looks pretty pathetic. 
Brad Spaugh

sc4001992

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2022, 07:17:54 PM »
Here's a better picture of the fruit from Marta's website.

https://fruitsandgardening.blogspot.com/2020/03/cold-hardy-avocados-for-sacramento.html


Avoman

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2022, 03:19:57 PM »
Thanks Kaz yes that's a better picture but a little hard to understand in picture which is mexicola and which is Aravaipa unless you can see the black skin of mexicola seems very similar amount of flesh on each, this seems to be the preferred avo planted in Phoenix area I'm thinking since it takes heat so well and could be a great seed to grow rootstock on so it does have some good points, I personally would grow it over mexicola.

Fygee

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2022, 03:41:43 PM »
An Arizona grower messaged me on FB and said it was awful. Stringy. Tasteless. Big seed.

Tree is about 5 years old. Could just be early fruit behavior, but that's not a good sign.

The fact that there's so few testimonials for it, considering there's a huge 100-year-old tree that it derives from, isn't a good sign.

That said, it seems like it would make for rock star rootstock for hot, dry, clay soil environments. I'd love to get some seeds to prove that out.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2022, 03:52:07 PM by Fygee »
Continuing my journey to disprove those who say "You can't grow that in the desert" since 2013.

Avoman

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2022, 11:35:13 AM »
Interestesting that's the worse taste report I've heard yet, odd they felt so different than video on YouTube saying fruit was great, as you said it might end up being a tree to use to grow avo rootstock I would like seeds also to try them and see if they are any better than the zutano or bacon seeds I use now.

Avoman

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2022, 11:47:31 AM »
I don't know what Shamus has said the fruit taste like as he sells trees in AZ, maybe it's one of few avo trees that can handle extreme temps and that's the main reason it's sold,  in other words a so-so avocado is better than no avocado.

Fygee

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2022, 12:44:14 PM »
Shamus has stated multiple times that he hates avocados and thusly has provided no taste test for it.
Continuing my journey to disprove those who say "You can't grow that in the desert" since 2013.

Victoria Ave

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2022, 06:57:02 PM »
Shamus has got to be my least favorite personality in the tropical fruit YouTube game. I watched a lot of his videos thinking it would be more applicable to my climate than the Florida videos, but it turns out Chris and Har vids hold a lot more valuable info, based on lots of research and acknowledgement of opinions and tastes.

Shamus comes with things he states as absolute facts, not backing it up, contradictory info over the span of his vids. Just seeing Aravaipa reminded me of his vids where he always shows and brags about these trees growing in phoenix, but I never heard or saw a taste report.

I’m sure if it were noteworthy his vids would not be the only place I’ve heard of them. Sorry for coming off as a hater haha I just actually watched a few vids last night while icing my ankle and was reminded of why I tuned out

CeeJey

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2022, 07:42:40 PM »
Old talk by UC avocado curator Julie Frink where she mentions the aravaipa at the 1-hour mark: https://youtu.be/c7OAmGRQ8OE?t=3605

An old interview with Doug Jones (who I *think* is still the head of the Arizona chapter of the CRFG) about the aravaipa where he starts talking about the taste at 8:30-8:40ish mark: https://youtu.be/SfOxf3CZ6bY?t=497 , Doug might have had a financial interest here (he was the one who found the original Aravaipa tree and initially propagated it) but he's also a local expert.

Both of them echo the same thing, that it's not the best tasting avocado (Julie mentions there are better options if you don't have to deal with the cold). Matches my experience, I honestly didn't see a major difference between the one that I had and the average store-bought avocado (which some people might think is god-awful but we don't have the right climate, soil or water for the good stuff).

What's weird here is that locally and online I've heard/seen reviews all over the place, to the point that I've privately wondered if more than one strain of these running around (seedling maybe) or something else otherwise being sold as an aravaipa.
« Last Edit: September 16, 2022, 07:53:10 PM by CeeJey »

Avoman

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2022, 05:28:03 PM »
I wasn't aware shamus doesn't like avo seems odd he won't even taste his own avo trees he sells just to let customers know first hand his own opinion, good point ceejey on if there are different strains or not out there, it's just like other avos, Ardith deemed junk by Brad's post in which it won a taste test that epicenter put on,,, I'm coming to the conclusion only judge the taste grown off your own trees by your own taste buds picked the time and growing methods that person is using in their own orchards.

sc4001992

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2022, 10:13:50 PM »
You can buy a box of fruits (aravaipa) from Marta now on her website.

https://reallygoodplants.com/?fbclid=IwAR070AOR-uTdDP5uv9yJBnp0EdKxcv8ur3OwB3y9BAblPM089Ott1phCalo


JCorte

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2022, 09:48:38 AM »
I wonder if the growers who are getting poor quality fruit are feeding their trees and making sure they get good irrigation, plenty of mulch, as well as proper nutrition during fruit fill.  Avocados require plenty of calcium besides other nutrients. 

Janet

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #15 on: September 26, 2022, 10:08:45 AM »
I watched several Shamus and Jake Mace videos and I enjoyed them.  I thought it was inspiring that they showed other possibilities for a garden in desert climates and encouraged people to try and grow fruit trees as well as making hard to find plants available for purchase. 

Janet

Fygee

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #16 on: September 26, 2022, 12:35:51 PM »
It's also possible that first or second-year fruit will be considerably poorer than in later years.

I'm not sure how avos behave as far as that goes, but that could be a major factor.
Continuing my journey to disprove those who say "You can't grow that in the desert" since 2013.

sc4001992

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #17 on: October 04, 2022, 02:29:33 PM »
Avoman, ok, I did a taste test for you. You got me curious so I bought the box of Aravaipa fruits from Marta. I figured if it didn't taste good, I could always use the seeds to grow some rootstock.

The box I ordered a week ago had 11 fruits, similar to the picture I posted above. The fruits are not that large, maybe the size of Jan Boyce, I weighed them and can post info later. I cut one open and tasted it when it was not fully ripe/soft yet and it was watery and not that good. The other 10 fruits I waited until they got slightly soft to the touch, and they were much better. It is not bad, no off taste, not watery, but just a mild taste. No fibers so it is not a bad avocado to eat. What I noticed was that once the fruit get slightly soft, you need to eat them right away since they do not have much shelf life on my counter, they all ripened at once, if you wait, they will start to go bad. I will post some photos I took later tonight.

To sum it up, the fruit taste is ok, not much flavor, no off taste, but it will go bad as soon as it is ready to eat (within a day) and needs to be used asap.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2022, 05:58:17 AM by sc4001992 »

Bush2Beach

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #18 on: October 05, 2022, 03:17:51 AM »
Sounds like an improved Bacon 8)

sc4001992

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #19 on: October 05, 2022, 04:23:26 AM »
Bush2Beach, no to me the Bacon has more flavor than the Aravaipa fruits.
Here's the photos, i ate one fruit early, then the rest 4 days later when they were all ripe/soft.














« Last Edit: October 06, 2022, 03:46:51 AM by sc4001992 »

ScottR

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #20 on: October 05, 2022, 11:49:05 AM »
Kaz, thanks for photo's and description of Aravaipa avocado, I have one growing but has only fruited once so, was not impressed with flavor but decided to wait until fruits more before I decide if a keeper or not.

Bush2Beach

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #21 on: October 05, 2022, 12:05:31 PM »
Thanks for the photos and write up Kaz

sc4001992

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #22 on: October 05, 2022, 08:56:28 PM »
sure, no problem. I have a few grafted branches, so I hope to get fruits in a few years.

spaugh

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #23 on: October 06, 2022, 12:31:51 AM »
Looks a lot like bacon
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Aravaipa Avocado how's the taste from growers with older trees ???
« Reply #24 on: October 06, 2022, 02:07:09 AM »
It does look like bacon, but it is much smaller. Also, when it starts to get soft, it goes bad quickly if you don't eat it within a day or two. Three fruits went bad (mold) out of 11 fruits, so I just saved the seeds for planting. I forgot to mention the skin is very thin, cannot be peeled.