Yes, the bizarre-looking “long-neck” avocados have recently gone viral, and they’re the latest thing to leave people across the internet completely confused. For those still doubtful, these jumbo-sized fruits are quite real and have actually been in existence for some time.
These “long-neck” avocados can grow to be about 13 inches long. They’re primarily grown in Florida and look just like the smaller Hass version of avocado.
South Florida is no stranger to the avocado and is home to dozens of varieties of the fruit, including the long-neck avocados. These unique-looking avocados are quite rare and aren’t sold commercially, which is probably why we aren’t as familiar with them as we would be with others.
The long-neck avocados are actually called “Persea Americana Russell” and supposedly, they originated in the Islamorada village, located in the Florida Keys as claimed by Purdue University’s Crop Index.
While the Russells might bear similarities in appearance to squash or zucchini on the outside, on the inside they look like any normal-sized Hass avocado – just slightly longer.
The Russell variety of avocado is known for its bright-green smooth, glossy skin, which is quite a difference to the Hass’s typically dark and textured outer layer.
The Russells are known to grow up to 13 inches long, and their typical harvest time throughout the southern part of Florida is August through September.
Besides their length, they are also known to weigh a typical 24 to 40 ounces, which is roughly between 1.5 pounds to 2.5 pounds. The average Hass avocado you’d find in a grocery store normally weighs just 6 ounces.
Long-keck avocados are also known to ripen just as fast as a regular avocado, but obviously, they can produce a lot more guacamole.
Miami Fruit, a Florida-based company which has become an established seller of the long-neck avocados told INSIDER that these avocados ripen pretty quickly.
A spokesperson for the company said, “Our ‘long-neck’ avocados do ripen quickly, just like the regular avocados that you would find in a grocery store.”
Bearing that in mind, if you ever do acquire one you’ll want to use it up pretty quickly. The spokesperson also said that a chef figure recently found out that a single “long-neck” avocado can make 12 slices of avocado toast – definitely something I’d like for when I host my next brunch!
When it comes to the taste, the “long-neck” avocados don’t differ much from the popular Hass avocados.
“Our long-neck avocados are thick, creamy, savory, and slightly sweet,” Miami Fruit co-founder Edelle Schlegel said to NBC’s “Today” show.
If you’re like me and really want to get your hands on one or two, you can order the Russell variety online or attempt to grow them yourself at home.
Because of their sheer size, expect to pay a little extra for these avocados. Miami Fruit has the price starting at $47 for a small 3 to 6-pound box, and the price only increases depending on the size of the order.
For now, the company has currently sold out of the “long-necks,” but you can already pre-order these avocados for this time next year.
If you’re feeling ambitious and don’t want to bother with pre-ordering, you can also go about purchasing and growing a tree of your own to have these “long-neck” avocados yourself.
According to Purdue, these trees work well in a home garden because they “bear well,” meaning you likely get a decent amount of “long-neck” avocados every harvest.
However, bear in mind that they can be difficult to grow if you’re not in the proper climate – as previously mentioned these avocados are generally grown in the south of Florida, which is known for having warm weather and a bit of humidity.