Grocery prices are soaring. But this food favorite is getting cheaper

[IronLionZion]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/business/avocados-surplus-inflation-price-relief/index.html

There’s at least one item in the grocery store that is getting less expensive: avocados.

A significant supply glut of the buttery fruit has triggered a drop in wholesale prices, sending store prices lower as well.

With the overall cost of grocery items up a stunning 13% compared to last year, cheaper avocados couldn’t come at a better time for inflation-weary households desperate to catch a break on their shopping bills.

After surging in the first-half of 2022, the wholesale price for a carton of 48 mid-sized avocados has dropped 35% to under $30 year-over-year, down 67% from the peak reached in the last week of June, said David Magana, senior fresh produce analyst with Rabo AgriFinance.

At the store level, the average unit price for avocados also has reversed course, declining 2.6% in September from a year ago. That’s a big drop from the 31% year-over-year spike seen in July and August’s 13.9% bump, according to the latest numbers from market research firm NielsenIQ, which tracks point of sale data from retailers.

A confluence of multifaceted issues — including geopolitics — has led to an overabundance of the fruit, said Richard Kottmeyer, managing director of food, agriculture and beverage with FTI Consulting.

As prices cool off, so many avocados are floating around right now that in some instances they are being given away for free.

If we can't afford to buy a house now, might as well make avocado toast.

[Amishman]

1. poor article. There was an acute shortage of avocados about a year ago

and this is a year over year statistic. A shortage ending will cause a price drop.

Not to mention that avocados are not a major component of the typical grocery bill.

old article about the shortage: https://www.eatthis.com/news-avocado-shortage-january-2022/

[Brother Buzz]

2. Cheap was when Safeway was selling medium avocados ten for a dollar (1986?)

I was eating them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I gained weight that winter, but boy howdy, I felt really, really healthy.

[IronLionZion]

4. Superfood, so it's healthy plant based fat

[Brother Buzz]

5. I felt so good gaining the weight I actually entertained that vegetarian thingy

Dogs love them too. Avocado eating dogs have the shiniest, healthiest looking coats

[miyazaki]

6. Bears & rats love em too.

My grandma had an avocado tree in her backyard and the alley rats would climb the power lines at night and get to the tree and help themselves.

[pandr32]

3. Falling off the trees here.

We have three different avocado trees and they ripen at staggered times. We are still enjoying fruit from the first one.
We live in Hawaii by the way.

[MurrayDelph]

12. Our house in L.A. had a mature tree in the backyard

One of the stories I told about my dad at his funeral was when my folks were looking for a house in the View Park neighborhood. They looked at that house, he walked into the back yard, saw the avocado tree and told my mom, "Honey, if you like it, let's put in a bid on this one."

[pandr32]

15. I completely understand

[Sympthsical]

7. We get them for $1 apiece

Safeway sometimes has them for $1 each, but they're kind of on the smaller side. Fortunately, there's a farmer's market up the street with all of the produce. They have these huge ones for a dollar.

Yes, lots of guac and sliced avocados in omlettes and burritos and things. But!

Avocado milkshake! Filipino partner introduced me to these. So, so good. But you can make it pretty healthy. I slice up the avocado and freeze it overnight. Then add skim milk and splenda and throw it in the ninja.

Nomnomnomnom

[IronLionZion]

8. I make avocado mousse sometimes

just ripe avocado, banana, and cocoa powder in a food processor.

[Sympthsical]

9. Whaaaat

I have all of those things.

I know what I'm having after dinner tonight.

[IronLionZion]

10. Here's a good 3 ingredient recipe for it

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220827/abc-pudding-avocado-banana-chocolate-delight/

There are more complicated ones out there like the food network version.

[Sympthsical]

11. Thanks for that

It's the holidays, so I'm keeping an eye out for different recipes.

One thing that came to mind while reading that is perhaps using some permutation of it in a layered cake. Hmm, ideas ideas.

For any holiday gathering, I always try to make one thing that people will circle suspiciously because it seems kind of odd, but is in reality delicious.

[miyazaki]

14. fifty seven cents each at aldi's now

cheapest i've seen since they were 33 cents each at aldi's. small to medium size.

[Hortensis]

13. :) Another recipe incoming. Tomorrow our "cheap"avocados will be ready.

An oddball recipe we really enjoy now and then is planned to make a meal from yesterday‘s rather skimpy leftover grilled skirt steak served on top: warm angel hair pasta tossed with a dressing of lemon juice, toasted sesame oil, minced raw garlic, red pepper flakes, toasted sesame seed, salt, with chunks of perfectly ripe avocado gently added in.

The dressing’s raw flavors are tempered by the blandness of the avocado and pasta, but less can be more, or more more, depending on personal tastes. It’ll be served on some greens. Easy, quick. Yum.

Whoops, addendum: The recipe calls for lime, and I use whatever I have including a mixture of lemon and lime if needed. All good.

That guy who thought they should buy the house because of a great avocado tree in the back is my kind of person. A hideous old kitchen can be remodeled or a sunny window installed in days. Adding a great tree takes years.

By the way, there’s been a battle going on for some years now between lime, and now avocado, farmers and the Mexican drug cartels fighting to take them over. Both limes and avocados provide good and legal profits without all the dangers and uncertainty of drugs. I buy a fair number of limes also and never know whether the ones in the bowl on my counter might come from a heroic farm family and helpers guarding their orchards with rifles and/or being shaken down or by organized crime.