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About Our Avocados
The Brokaw Family Difference
Hass avocados on a tree.
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There are many excellent varieties (other than the well-known Hass) that are high in fat, (essential for high quality) and have great flavor. We, however, are able to purvey fresh-picked avocados of excellent quality 11 months out of the year with just 2 varieties: Hass and Gwen.
We produce our Hass avocados primarily in Santa Paula (coastal southern California). Unlike the industry at large which starts harvesting in mid-December while the fruit is still under-mature and watery, we wait until mid-February when the fruit begins to be flavorful and sufficiently high in fat. We harvest this crop from mid-February until mid-September during which we are able to purvey fresh-picked Hass avocados of excellent quality.
The Gwen avocado is special to us. They are grown primarily in Soledad (central coast California) and harvested starting in mid-September through mid-January. Since they're central instead of south coast grown, and because Gwen already harvest later than Hass (with all things being equal), we are able to purvey excellent quality avocados during the fall and winter months.
Fall and winter for the most part is a desperate time for those who demand excellent avocados. What little domestic production there is is under-mature and watery. The Mexican and Chilean imports which dominate the market this time of year may be exceptional when harvested, but their quality suffers greatly at the hands of shipping and supermarket distribution/handling techniques.
For this reason it's possible that we literally corner the market in excellent quality avocados during this period.
"And are Gwen avocados really excellent in quality?" you Hass fans might ask. You bet they are! They have every bit as much fat and a slightly stronger flavor than Hass. I, most of my co-workers and many of my farmers' market regulars prefer them to Hass; they really are that good.
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