Saturday, February 28, 2015

Hawaii Avocados

Hawaii Avocado Tree
Hawaii has over 300 varieties of avocados. The variations of shape, size, and taste are amazing. The avocado skins vary from pliable to woody, smooth to rough, and are green-yellow, reddish-purple, purple, or black in color. Some taste buttery and others are fibrous.

The majority of avocados found outside of Hawaii are the black-skinned 'Haas' which originally came from the Guatemala. 'Haas' do not grow well in Hawaii so we have numerous other varieties available in stores and Famer’s markets around the islands.  Over half of the commercial avocado acreage in Hawaii are 'Sharwil', a Mexican and Guatemalan cross.  'Sharwil' have small seeds and greenish-yellow flesh with a rich, nutty flavor which many consider far superior to ‘Haas’.


'Greengold' and 'Murashige' are other green-skinned avocados commercially raised in Hawaii.  However, 'Sharwil'  is the only Hawaii grown avocado authorized for shipment to Alaska and the US mainland in compliance with USDA requirements.

We love the many varieties of avocados and are happy that they are also a great source Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin E.   They also has Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), and Vitamin B3 (Niacin).  The avocado is a great source of fiber which makes it good for the digestive system and very filling.  Unlike other fruits which are mostly carbohydrates, avocados are mostly fat, with oleic acid which is a healthy monounsaturated fatty acid.


The plentiful supply of highly nutritious avocados in Hawaii is one of the reasons people in Hawaii are so Healthy and Happy

2 comments:

desha said...

Aloha

I just finished reading Your Ideal Hawaii Home book, and I found it to be quite interesting and helpful. My wife and I have been vacationing in Big Island every year since our honeymoon there 8 years ago. I wish that I had educated myself regarding living in Hawaii before we bought a large parcel of land in South Kona with the intention of building a second or vacation home there. For all of the reasons that you discussed in your book, and more, I would have never done that if I was equipped with the knowledge and information contained in your book. Since we are unable to afford to build a house there, and we cannot sell our raw land now for even half of what we paid, I would appreciate your experience and advice at this time. My wife is retiring next month, although I will still need to work for up to 10 more years. As the real estate market in West Hawaii and Waimea for single family homes has skyrocketed over the past two years ( the areas that we would like to be ), buying a decent home does not appear to be an option at this time or in the near future unless the market falls dramatically to its normal uninflated value, which seems unlikely.
I would be content to rent a home for several months a every year until such time as I retire, however my wife is set on owning a home to fix it to her liking,and have the flexibility to stay there when she likes.
I realize that we don't have a lot of options at this time, but I would be grateful for any input that you could provide, since you have both lived on the Big Island for quite some time. Also appreciated would be any further discoveries or recommendations in general regarding living in Hawaii, that you have realized since publication of your book

Mahalo

Desha

Hilo Living said...

Hi Desha,

Thanks for reading our book!

We know several couples who set up a second home in Kona while the husband continued to work. Generally, the cost of a second home, taxes, utilities and trips back and forth to the mainland were far more than they anticipated.

Renting over the last 7 years has allowed us to live in places that are unaffordable for us to buy. It allowed us to experience three very different climates and communities. The costs associated with ownership could be spent on incredibly nice condos for long vacations or as a second home.

That being said, Hawaii island is undergoing change. There has been a surge in property purchases and more people are moving to island full time or at least spending more time here. The traffic has increased and the stores and beaches have been the most crowded we have ever seen. If this trend continues it may be the beginning of a real estate boom and prices of rentals will likely also increase along with property prices.

Most people who move to Hawaii from the mainland leave within 4 years. The biggest reasons people move back to the mainland are to be closer to grandchildren, medical issues, and boredom. So we always ask: If you knew you were only going to live in Hawaii for four years what would you do differently?

Tyler and Chris