Kula Country Farms employee Meridyth Sealey (L), with Loihi Pokini and his father Mark Pokini (R) in their kitchen in Kula, Hawaii. Image: Courtesy of Juliane Pokini via AP
A family has won a place with the Guinness World Records for the world’s heaviest avocado.
The Pokini family from the island of Maui in Hawaii received the Guinness certificate this week for the avocado weighing 5.6 pounds (about 2.50 kilograms), The Maui News reported last Thursday, Oct. 10.
The average avocado weighs about 6 ounces (170 grams), according to Guinness officials.
The Pokini family’s avocado tree is more than 10 years old and 20 feet (6 meters) tall. Mark Pokini planted it when his son, Loihi was born, using a seed from his brother-in-law’s tree on Oahu island, he said.
Mark and his wife Juliane, together with Loihi, applied last December for the Guinness recognition involving a tough verification process by the company known as the chronicler of the world’s record achievements.
The giant avocado being cut to make into guacamole at Kula Country Farms in Kula, Hawaii. Image: courtesy of Juliane Pokini via AP
The family in 2018 entered another avocado, but it did not meet all the elements of the Guinness verification process requiring input from a certified horticulturist, two forms completed by witnesses, a state-certified scale, photographs, video and other documentation.
For the second attempt, the family gathered a team and the right tools ahead of time as they watched the growth of what became the record fruit.
They did not water or fertilize the tree, deciding to “kind of just leave it alone,” Juliane said. Winning was emotional for her.
“We were excited,” Juliane stated. “But at the same time, we were like, finally. It was such a long wait.”
The prize avocado was put to good use when the family “made a whole bunch of guacamole” to share with relatives and friends. RGA/JB
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