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Bacon avocados are ready to pick when they reach a dark, almost black skin color and feel slightly soft to the touch.
But timing the harvest of bacon avocados isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds, since these fruits don’t ripen fully on the tree.
If you’ve been wondering when are bacon avocados ready to pick, you’re in the right place because this variety has some unique signs you need to watch for.
In this post, we’ll walk you through exactly how to tell when bacon avocados are ready to pick, what makes this variety different from others, and tips to ensure you harvest at the perfect moment.
Let’s dig into the details so you can enjoy your homegrown bacon avocados at their best.
When Are Bacon Avocados Ready To Pick: The Key Signs
Bacon avocados are ready to pick primarily based on their skin color and how long they’ve hung on the tree, not just by feel alone.
Unlike Hass avocados that darken dramatically, bacon avocados have thinner, smoother skin that stays green even when ripe.
The trick is that bacon avocados are ready to pick when the skin turns from a bright, glossy green to a duller, matte green with a slight purplish or bronze tint.
This color shift is your first clear clue that the fruit has reached maturity and can be harvested.
Another reliable method is the calendar, because bacon avocados typically mature about six to eight months after the tree flowers.
If you’re in a warmer climate like Southern California, bacon avocados are usually ready to pick from late fall through early spring, roughly November to March.
However, a bacon avocado that’s ready to pick won’t be soft on the tree, so you need to check firmness carefully before deciding.
The fruit should give just slightly to gentle palm pressure, but it shouldn’t feel mushy or squishy.
If you press too hard and leave a dent, it’s likely already past the ideal harvest window.
Keep in mind that bacon avocados are ready to pick while still firm because they’ll finish ripening off the tree within a few days.
1. Check The Skin Color Closely
The most obvious sign that bacon avocados are ready to pick is the change in skin color from shiny green to a duller, darker shade.
Look for small patches of brown or bronze appearing near the stem, which is a good indicator of maturity.
When you notice this color change across the whole fruit, that’s your signal that bacon avocados are ready to pick.
Don’t wait for the skin to turn completely black like a Hass, because bacon avocados never achieve that dark color.
2. The Stem Test Is Your Friend
A simple way to confirm when bacon avocados are ready to pick is to gently twist or pull on the small stem at the top.
If the stem pops off easily and reveals a green interior underneath, the fruit is mature enough to harvest.
But if the stem resists and the area underneath looks brown or woody, the avocado isn’t ready yet.
This stem test works because it directly reflects the internal oil content, which increases as the fruit matures.
Performing this test on a couple of sample fruits can tell you if bacon avocados are ready to pick across your whole tree.
3. Give It A Gentle Squeeze
While bacon avocados are ready to pick when they’re still firm, they should yield slightly to a soft squeeze in the palm of your hand.
Avoid using your fingertips because that can bruise the delicate skin and flesh beneath.
If the fruit feels rock hard with no give at all, it needs more time on the tree.
If it feels soft and almost liquid inside, you’ve left it too long and it may have started to decay internally.
The sweet spot for harvesting is when the avocado feels like it has a bit of spring, similar to a slightly underripe pear.
How To Pick Bacon Avocados The Right Way
Once you’ve determined that bacon avocados are ready to pick, you need to remove them carefully to avoid damaging the branch or the fruit.
Using a pair of clean, sharp pruning shears is the best approach for cutting the stem cleanly.
Leave about an inch of stem attached to the avocado, as this helps prevent moisture loss and extends shelf life.
Twisting or pulling the fruit by hand can tear the branch and invite disease into your tree, so always use shears.
When you’re harvesting, pick only the fruits that show the signs we discussed and leave others that are still green and glossy.
It’s perfectly fine to pick bacon avocados in stages over several weeks, since not all fruits mature at exactly the same time.
After picking, gently place the avocados in a basket or crate without stacking them too high to avoid bruises.
Bacon avocados that are ready to pick will continue to ripen on your counter at room temperature over the next two to five days.
What Happens If You Pick Bacon Avocados Too Early Or Too Late?
Bacon avocados that are picked too early will never ripen properly and will likely end up hard, rubbery, and flavorless.
If you harvest before they’re mature, the fruit won’t soften because the natural ripening process never kicked in.
On the flip side, bacon avocados left on the tree too long can become overly soft, develop off-flavors, or even start to split.
That’s why knowing when bacon avocados are ready to pick is so critical for getting that creamy, nutty texture you love.
The window for optimal harvest is actually fairly generous, lasting a few weeks once the fruit reaches maturity.
So you have time to test a few avocados and refine your picking schedule based on what you find.
Keep an eye on the weather too, because a heavy frost or extreme heat can damage mature fruit quickly.
If a frost is expected, it’s safer to pick all mature bacon avocados even if they aren’t perfectly ripe yet.
They’ll finish ripening indoors, and that’s much better than losing your whole crop to cold damage.
So, When Are Bacon Avocados Ready To Pick?
Bacon avocados are ready to pick when the skin dulls to a matte green with bronze tinges, the stem pops off to reveal green underneath, and the fruit yields just slightly to palm pressure.
That’s the simple answer to when bacon avocados are ready to pick, but remember that timing also depends on your local climate and the tree’s age.
Younger trees may produce fruit that matures a bit later, so don’t panic if your first harvest doesn’t align perfectly with typical months.
The most reliable approach is to combine the calendar, the skin color, the stem test, and the squeeze method for a confident harvest.
Once you practice these techniques for a season or two, you’ll develop an intuitive sense for when bacon avocados are ready to pick.
And there’s nothing quite like slicing into a perfectly ripened bacon avocado that you harvested at just the right moment from your own backyard tree.
So get out there, check those fruits regularly, and enjoy the fruits of your labor knowing you nailed the harvest timing perfectly.