A new ‘giant’ avocado that weighs 1.2kg and stays ripe for five days after being opened arrives in Australia – but there’s a catch
A new breed of ‘giant’ avocados, weighing four times as much as supermarket fruit, has taken Australia by storm. And because they’re so fast at oxidising, they can be eaten for days after opening.
Jala avocados weigh an average of 1-1.2 kilograms and experts rave about the fruit’s “delicious creamy, buttery, nutty” flavor.
Jess Fleming, Manager at Flemish Nursery in Queensland, FEMAIL said Jala avocados are sure to be a foodie favourite.
“Jala has a slow oxidation rate and the avocados stay fresh for up to five days after you cut them open. It’s not a ‘cut and eat’ fruit like many other fruits,” she said.
The two main varieties of Australian avocados are Shepard (season February to April) and Hass (season May to January).
The avocados are currently only available in Queensland, but will be available in Australia in early 2025.
The fourth-generation nursery owner added: ‘Jala trees produce large-fruited avocados with large pits, but the pit-to-flesh ratio has much more flesh than the standard Hass.
‘The fruit has a green skin and can become somewhat spotty on the outside, but the flesh is not affected by this.’
Jala avocados weigh an average of 1-1.2 kilos and experts rave about the fruit’s “delicious creamy, buttery, nutty” flavor
Jess Fleming, manager at Flemings Nursery in Queensland, told FEMAIL that Jala avocados are sure to be a favourite with foodies
Ms Fleming said many have speculated that Jala avocados would be ‘tasteless and watery’ because of their size, but the opposite is true.
The trees will be available from garden centres across the state, including Brisbane, Gold Coast and Far North Queensland, with the first overseas market expected to be available early next year.
Fleming Nursery sold the first 1,800 trees to Bunnings Warehouse and local nurseries in Queensland.
Jala has a slow oxidation rate and stays fresh for up to five days after you cut it open
Ms Fleming said an additional 5,000 trees will be available by March 2025.
Jala avocados are also ‘perfect’ for hobby gardeners with green fingers.
“If you have a garden with plenty of space, this is a good, easy tree for you,” says Mrs Fleming.
“You just have to make sure the tree has adequate drainage.”
Jala trees are typically 7 metres tall, but can grow to 10 metres under favourable conditions.
The trees should bear fruit within two or three years.