Tim's review of his Florida Hass. August 23, 2012
Greetings Carlos,
The results are in and they are good. Let's review...
Mid-spring 2011: The 4' tree was shipped to me in a 7 gallon container and planted by start of summer the same year.
December 2011: Three to four combined nights of below freezing temps. Tree was protected with a plant blanket and no damage noted. In the future, covering the tree will become impractible due to it's size. Effects of cold, if any, may be more pronounced and thus reported accordingly.
January 2012: Tree, now 6' tall, flowered very well but produced less than two dozen fruits.
Mid-spring 2012: Tree growing fast. Many flushes and tree now about 7' tall however all but one fruit have dropped from tree.
Early summer 2012: Lone fruit progressing well and is quite large compared to store bought fruit.
August 2012: Fruit has been on tree for about 7 months and appears to be of more than sufficient size for harvest. It is picked.
As you know, I am learning about this tree, its' needs and habits, as time goes on. As a result, any observations I contribute may differ from future reports or observations from others who are growing this tree. As I gain experience with this tree, I'll learn what to expect as the seasons add up. When I get a crop of multiple fruits, I'll have a better idea about what I should be doing and when I should be doing it. Right now I'm mostly just guessing but so far, so good.
The 12 ounce fruit was left to ripen at room temperature (76-78°) in a fruit bowl on the countertop. After 11 days, the fruit yielded to gentle pressure, felt soft and ready to eat. The fruit was easily cut into quarters and peeled very easily as a ripe Hass avocado should. However, the pliable, leathery, meduim-thick, pebbly skin did not blacken as expected but did darken noticeably.
The flesh was a uniform creamy yellow color surrounding the medium size seed with pale lime green flesh closest to the skin. The texture was softly firm. with only slightly less richness than California Hass which I attribute to either the lower oil content of the Florida Hass or the possibility that the fruit might have benefitted from more time on the tree. Nonetheless, the taste reflected the texture which was very smooth and creamy with a nutty finish.
I was extremely pleased with the results. It would have been difficult for me to distinquish between the Florida Hass and California Hass in a blind taste test. The Florida Hass made an outstanding topping for my Huevos Rancheros this morning.
That's all for now.
Cheers, Tim
The results are in and they are good. Let's review...
Mid-spring 2011: The 4' tree was shipped to me in a 7 gallon container and planted by start of summer the same year.
December 2011: Three to four combined nights of below freezing temps. Tree was protected with a plant blanket and no damage noted. In the future, covering the tree will become impractible due to it's size. Effects of cold, if any, may be more pronounced and thus reported accordingly.
January 2012: Tree, now 6' tall, flowered very well but produced less than two dozen fruits.
Mid-spring 2012: Tree growing fast. Many flushes and tree now about 7' tall however all but one fruit have dropped from tree.
Early summer 2012: Lone fruit progressing well and is quite large compared to store bought fruit.
August 2012: Fruit has been on tree for about 7 months and appears to be of more than sufficient size for harvest. It is picked.
As you know, I am learning about this tree, its' needs and habits, as time goes on. As a result, any observations I contribute may differ from future reports or observations from others who are growing this tree. As I gain experience with this tree, I'll learn what to expect as the seasons add up. When I get a crop of multiple fruits, I'll have a better idea about what I should be doing and when I should be doing it. Right now I'm mostly just guessing but so far, so good.
The 12 ounce fruit was left to ripen at room temperature (76-78°) in a fruit bowl on the countertop. After 11 days, the fruit yielded to gentle pressure, felt soft and ready to eat. The fruit was easily cut into quarters and peeled very easily as a ripe Hass avocado should. However, the pliable, leathery, meduim-thick, pebbly skin did not blacken as expected but did darken noticeably.
The flesh was a uniform creamy yellow color surrounding the medium size seed with pale lime green flesh closest to the skin. The texture was softly firm. with only slightly less richness than California Hass which I attribute to either the lower oil content of the Florida Hass or the possibility that the fruit might have benefitted from more time on the tree. Nonetheless, the taste reflected the texture which was very smooth and creamy with a nutty finish.
I was extremely pleased with the results. It would have been difficult for me to distinquish between the Florida Hass and California Hass in a blind taste test. The Florida Hass made an outstanding topping for my Huevos Rancheros this morning.
That's all for now.
Cheers, Tim
