Maturity Standards
Avocados are judged to be mature and ready for harvest when they meet a minimum dry weight standard specified by the State of California. The Avocado Inspection Service determines the dry weight of avocados by weighing the fresh weight and the dry weight of a sample of avocados. This dry weight standard is different for each variety and official testing must be performed by an inspector of the Avocado Inspection Service.
| Variety | Minimum Dry Weight (%) |
| Hass | 20.8 |
| Lamb Hass | 22.8 |
| Reed | 18.7 |
Maturity Release Dates
Based upon historical dry weight data, the Avocado Inspection Service of the California Department of Food and Agriculture has established release dates by size for each avocado variety. Prior to the release dates, fruit of the specified variety and size will be tested by the state for maturity. Fruit can be marketed without testing once the release date has passed.
| Maturity Release Dates | |||||||
| Variety | Size 28 | Size 32 | Size 36 | Size 40 | Size 48 | Size 60 | Size 70 & Smaller |
| Hass | 28-Nov | 12-Dec | 2-Jan | 16-Jan | |||
| Lamb Hass | 8-May | 22-May | 5-Jun | 19-Jun | 3-Jul | 17-Jul | |
| Gem | 14-Jan | 28-Jan | 11-Feb | 25-Feb | 11-Mar | 25-Mar |
