Pinkerton Guacamole (no "strings" attached...)

Pinkerton is the avocado on the far LEFT (long, skinny one)

The Pinkerton variety of avocados is a native of Ventura County from the 1970's (just like the Diva!) and one of my favorites.

You will like it too -- as it is an excellent California avocado for guacamole that can be found in the dead of winter - when California Hass is not readily available.

(In this photo, you can see 5 varieties of avocados: from left to right: Pinkerton, Bacon, a late season Lamb, Fuerte and in the front - a newly named variety from a very old tree, the Matthew Davis).



Pinkertons are oily and full of nutty flavors that can stand up to a nice, fiery hot sauce. I like to make my Pinkerton guacamole with just a few, simple ingredients:

1. California Lemon (in season also at this time)
2. Tabasco sauce
3. Sea salt
4. Garlic powder

That's it! BUT -- the tricky part about a Pinkerton avocado is to overcome it's 2 main flaws... read on for how to do this...

ONE: Pinkerton Avocados are long and skinny. (I have a couple of other blog posts about this variety of avocado, you can find them here for more information). The long, skinny neck of this kind of avocado can make it ripen funny. It often ripens from the top down. So unlike a Hass avocado -- you don't want to cute it in half lengthwise; rather, you need to cut it around the middle. You eat the top one day, store the bottom until it ripens, then eat it the next day (or so).

NO

YES!

TWO: Pinkerton Avocados can have a lot of "strings" in the neck. These are just the veins of the fruit (like in celery) - so they are nothing to be worried about; however, they can make an unpleasant texture in guacamole. I recommend that you cut off the top in small discs - and throw away the top 2 or 3 where you can see the brown strings (see photo above) OR you can scoop out the flesh at the top (see spoon below) and pull out the 8 - 10 threads. 

Once you know how to handle a Pinkerton - you'll be delighted to find such a wonderful addition to your winter diet!  The Pinkerton actually has MORE flesh (so its a better value) than a Hass, often has a higher oil content, plus it turns black (so you know when its ripe) and it peels very easily. It's a great avocado and you'll be happy to know you can get a winter California variety for your guacamole fix. Check out our website at www.AvocadoDiva.com and/or join our "Diva Club" to automatically get avocados shipped to you each month as they come into season.