Cut an Avocado Without Touching the Flesh
When you love eating but hate peeling and cutting an avocado you may want to read these instructions. The trick of not getting avocado pulp all over your hands is cutting it without touching the pulp.
Steps
- Use a medium-sized sharp knife to cut lengthwise around the avocado.
- Let the knife follow the contour of the avocado by pressing the knife blade into the flesh touching the large pit. This will guide the knife making the process easier to cut the avocado into halves.
- Twist the two avocado halves while pulling the two lengthwise pieces gently apart.
- Use a knife to remove the pit from the avocado.
- Whack the knife firmly into the pit.
- Twist the knife and the pit will be removed from the avocado half.
- Place the avocado half onto a cutting board.
- Use the knife to cut a cross-hatch pattern into the avocado flesh.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado pulp.
- Repeat this process with the other avocado half.
- Alternatively, use a spoon to scoop out the avocado flesh, if the avocado is ripe and with soft flesh. Otherwise use the cross-hatch cuts for easy removal of the avocado pulp.
- Cutting the avocado into 1/2-inch strips is another method for removing the avocado pulp. Hold the unpeeled avocado half in one hand, slice down the center, being careful to cut only through the pulp.
- The avocado half will then have a center-wise cut through the pulp. Cut the remaining strips into slices.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Repeat with the other half. This gives nice, clean avocado slices with no mess.
Tips
- Cut the avocado into halves, slices or into cubes as close to serving time as possible. Avocados will turn brown once exposed to air.
- Use a heavy kitchen knife to whack the seed.
Warnings
- Do not eat the pit.
- When 'whacking' the seed with the knife, be careful not to cut yourself, as the seed can be slippery.
- Do not hold the avocado in your hand when cutting it or you might cut yourself; use a cutting board instead or consider holding the avocado in a length of rolled up hand towel (think towel nest). Even a sharp knife would have trouble making it through a towel with the small amount of pressure, even the hardest avocados would need to be cut.
- To dislodge the pit from the knife blade safely, "pinch" the pit from the dull side (backside) of the knife with the thumb and forefinger while the other three fingers grip the knife handle. Done over the garbage can (or compost bin, you greens) the pit will pop off the blade and be disposed of in one quick move, while keeping your fingers perfectly safe.
Things You'll Need
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Ripe avocado
