Thanks to their buttery texture and versatile flavor, avocados have become extremely popular in recent years. The only problem? Avocados can be tricky and messy to cut, especially if you’re new to the fruit. (Yes, it’s a fruit!) What’s more, the ripeness of an avocado will determine the easiest way to remove the peel and pit. (That said, it’s recommended to buy hard unripe avocados unless you’re planning to use them ASAP. Check the avocados everyday; they’re ready to eat if they’re firm but somewhat soft.)
Ready to learn how to cut an avocado? Read on for a step-by-step guide, complete with pictures:
You will need:
- avocados
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- spoon
It’s important to use a sharp knife. The sharper your knife, the easier it will be to cut avocados (or any vegetable or fruit, for that matter). On other hand, dull knives are more likely to slip and cause accidents.
On one side of the avocado, slice down the center, lengthwise. Continue slicing until your knife hits the pit.
Place the avocado on the cutting board, so that your knife is parallel to the board. Slowly rotate the avocado, so that the knife slices the peel and flesh around the pit. Keep the knife steady during this step.
Twist the two halves to separate.
Now, you have two avocado halves.
There are several ways to remove the pit. One method is to place the avocado half on your cutting board, then spear the pit with your knife, lengthwise. Give the knife a slight twist to lift out the pit, then use a spoon or edge of the bowl to flick the pit off the knife.
But there’s just a catch: If the pit is slippery, it might be difficult for your knife to latch on. This can send the avocado flying off the cutting board, so use this option with caution.
That’s where the second method comes in: Depending on the ripeness of your avocado, you might be able to scoop out the pit with a spoon. Personally, I try to use this method as much as possible to avoid handling the knife so close to my hands.
The third method is best for very ripe avocados. Simply pick out the pit with your fingers, which should be easy if the flesh is soft. Squeezing the avocado might be enough to remove the pit, too.
To remove the peel, run a spoon between the flesh and peel to separate them. Scoop out the flesh in one piece.
If your avocado is still a bit firm, you might be able to peel off the skin in strips instead.
For slices, position the avocado flat side down and cut lengthwise. For cubes, cut lengthwise and widthwise, in a cross-hatch pattern.
To mash up avocado, place the cubes in a bowl and mash with a fork.
Now that you know how to cut an avocado, try these tasty vegan recipes that call for one:
- vegan cobb salad
- jackfruit tacos with avocado lime sauce
- crispy cauliflower tacos
- roasted tomato salsa guacamole
How to Cut an Avocado
Ingredients
- 1 Avocado
Instructions
- On one side of the avocado, slice down the center, lengthwise. Continue slicing until your knife hits the pit.
- Place the avocado on the cutting board, so that your knife is parallel to the board. Slowly rotate the avocado, so that the knife slices the flesh around the pit. Keep the knife steady during this step. Twist the two halves to separate.
- There are several ways to remove the pit. One method is to place the avocado on your cutting board, then spear the pit with your knife, lengthwise. Give the knife a slight twist to lift out the pit, then use a spoon or edge of the bowl to flick the pit off the knife. However, if the pit is slippery, this method can send the avocado flying off the cutting board.
- Another method is to scoop out the pit with a spoon. This is ideal if your avocado is somewhat soft.
- Finally, if your avocado is very ripe, you can simply pick out the pit with your fingers. Simply squeezing the avocado might be enough to remove the pit.
- Now, to remove the peel, run a spoon between the flesh and peel to separate. Scoop out the flesh in one piece. (If your avocado is still a bit firm, you might be able to peel off the skin in strips instead.)
- For slices, position the avocado flat side down and cut lengthwise. For cubes, cut lengthwise and widthwise, in a cross-hatch pattern. To mash up avocado, place the cubes in a bowl and mash with a fork.
Notes
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