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How to Identify a Brogdon Avocado
The Brogdon or Brogden avocado is an avocado cultivar that originated in Florida. It is easily identifiable by its smooth, dark-purple skin. This variety is similar in taste to the Hass avocado. It is also considerably more resistant to colder temperatures. The fruit is pear-shaped and grows up to 14-24 oz in weight.
General Info
The Brogdon avocado, like many other varieties, was cultivated in the 1930s. It is often praised for its relatively high tolerance for cold climate. It can reportedly survive temperatures down to 18°F.
The Brogdon avocado was once called the alligator pear. This is because of its pear-shaped fruit, and its particular skin color. It bears fruit late in the season as well, around September to November. It bears a medium amount of fruit compared to other varieties. The reason the Brogdon never quite caught on commercially is its thin skin. But, it is noted for its excellent taste and consistency.
Because of its relatively high content of healthy fatty acids, the Brogdon is similar in taste to the Hass. This means a very pronounced buttery note, with traces of nutty flavors. For the same reason, the consistency of the fruit flesh is very soft. It is suitable for all recipes that involve mushed avocados, like smoothies or hummus, for example.
The high amount of fatty acids also gives it its distinct yellow-colored flesh. As soon as you split open a Brogdon, you will notice bright yellow flesh unlike with any other variety. The pit size is also quite a bit larger than the Hass and is tear-drop shaped.
Step-by-step Identification
Here are the step-by-step introductions on how to identify a Brogdon avocado.
Check the Skin Color
If the skin is dark purple, almost black, in color, like with the Hass avocado, then it might be a Brogdon.
Check the Skin Texture
Unlike some other varieties, the Brogdon avocado has noticeably smooth skin. Run your hand across the surface of the fruit. If it only has barely noticeable irregularities and is otherwise smooth, you are likely holding a Brogdon.
Try Peeling the Skin
The skin of a Brogdon avocado is very thin. It can even make peeling it challenging to people used to varieties with thicker skin. Try to peel it, and see if it is almost paper-thin. If it is, it is highly likely that you have a Brogdon.
Split the Avocado
Once you split the avocado, there’s no more room for doubt. If the flesh is bright yellow, and the pit is larger in size, it can only be a Brogdon.
Have a Bite
Finally, if you give it a taste, you should have about the same experience as with a Hass. Rich, buttery taste with nutty undertones. It might even be a bit more flavorful and should be noticeably softer than other sorts.
Conclusion
The Brogdon avocado has a lot going for it. It is a fairly large fruit, with an outstanding taste profile. The fact that it survives easily in climates other varieties cannot is a big plus.
