Avocados are buttery, nutty fruits that taste rich and hone many nutritional benefits. However, they can be slippery and messy to deal with. Instead of being intimidated by this timeless fruit, learn how to cut an avocado and unlock the endless culinary possibilities that it holds.
Learning how to cut, peel, pit, slice and dice an avocado will help you savor the fruit easily and safely. Otherwise, you may cut your hand or fingers (aka the avocado hand). Once you know the avocado cutting basics, you can dice it for tacos, mash it for guacamole, or even slice it up for salads.
How to cut an avocado:
- Use a sharp knife to cut the avocado vertically in half.
- Gently stab the knife into the pit and twist to pull it out.
- Cut in a cross hatch pattern into the fruit at equal intervals for cubes.
- Score lines into the avocado for slices.
- Scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
The above is simply an overview of how to cut an avocado. In reality, there are a number of things you must keep in mind in order to avoid cutting yourself in the process. Read on these details later on in the article.
Table of contents
How to select an avocado
For selecting a good avocado, there are two things you must look out for: its color and its consistency. These two are the primary indicators of the ripeness of an avocado.
Check the color
Pick out the ones that have slightly darker hues in a bunch of avocados, this is generally an indicator that an avocado is riper than others. If it’s still a bit green, you may use it after a few days when it’s ripe.
Test for firmness
Ripe avocados are those that are soft, yet not entirely mushy. For testing the firmness of an avocado, try holding the fruit in your hand and feel it by squeezing it. If it gives in a little without feeling entirely gooey, this is the one to pick.
Examine the stem
The last trick for testing an avocado’s ripeness is to examine its stem. If the stem looks freshly green and also peels easily, your avocado is ripe and ready to be eaten.
How to ripen avocados
For those of you who don’t know, avocados are one of those fruits that don’t ripen on the trees.
Instead, they ripen or soften naturally once they have been harvested. For starting the ripening process, place the unripe fruits in a brown paper bag along with either an apple or a banana. Let them remain in the bag until the avocados become ripe.
Avocado ripening guide
| Ripeness stage | How to tell? | Days taken to ripe |
| Completely firm | Firm and doesn’t yield to pressure | 4-5 |
| Almost ripe | Soft feel yet doesn’t give in to pressure | 1-2 |
| Ripe | Dark in color, gives in to pressure yet not entirely mushy | 0 |
How to cut an avocado
Now that we have some fresh, ripe avocados at our disposal, we can get on to the avocado cutting process. Here are the tools you need to peel, pit, slice as well as dice an avocado like a pro:
Tools needed
- A sharp chef knife
- A cutting board
- Some avocados
- A spoon
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True cutting power in the palm of your hand
Wash thoroughly
Wash the fruit for any germs or pesticides that might be on it. Even though you are going to use the insides only, these things might get into the flesh by means of your hands or your knife.
Removing the pit
The first thing you need to learn when cutting up an avocado is to remove the pit. This is the large brown colored seed you’ll find when you open up an avocado, surrounded by edible green flesh.
Step 1. Cut in half:
Place the avocado onto the cutting board whilst holding it firmly in your non-dominant hand. Next, use a sharp knife to cut the avocado in half vertically from top to bottom. You will feel your knife hit the pit as you cut your way through the avocado.
Once the knife hits the pit, rotate the fruit and cut it from the other half.
Step 2. Open it up
Once you have cut all the way through, the next step involves opening up the fruit. Do this by rotating the fruit and twisting it gently. This will separate the two halves.
Step 3. Removing the seed
Once you have opened up the avocado, you’ll notice one half of the avocado bearing the seed. Place that half of the fruit in a kitchen or paper towel. Hold the towel with the avocado in your hands to avoid slipping. Use the edge of your knife to tap into the pit until it makes it way through.
Next, twist the seed and pull it through. You can also use a spoon to remove the pit.
Slicing the avocado
For slicing the avocado, cut into the avocado halves lengthwise at equal intervals. If you plan on using the entire avocado, cut into the fruit without puncturing the skin. If you only intend on using some part of the avocado, cut along the skin and peel afterwards.
Dicing the avocado
For dicing the avocado, begin by using your knife to cut into the fruit lengthwise at equal intervals. These equal intervals maybe ½ inches thick each. Next, rotate the fruit at a 90 degree angle and cut throughout at equal intervals.
Scoop out the flesh
For the last step in how to cut an avocado, scoop out the sliced or diced avocados by using a spoon.
How to store an avocado
Avocados need to be stored differently depending on their ripeness and whether they have been cut or not.
Storing whole avocados
You can either store your avocados at room temperature or in the refrigerator depending on their ripeness. Avocados that are completely ripe are best stored in the refrigerator, where they’ll last about two to three days. Unripe ones can be left at room temperature (until the fruits become ripe).
Storing cut avocados
If your avocado is cut, it’s best to consume it immediately. However, if there is a cut piece left that can’t be consumer right away, do the following depending on its ripeness:
- For avocado halves that are fully ripe, cover the flesh with some lemon juice, olive oil, or lime juice. This will delay the oxidation process and keep them from browning. Wrap them up in plastic and refrigerate.
- For avocado halves that are not completely ripe, cover them with lemon juice and close the halves back again. Wrap them in plastic and proceed to store in the fridge till they ripen.
Simple avocado recipes
Finally, we have rounded up a few avocado recipes for you to devour this creamy, buttery treat:
Best guacamole recipe
This avocado based dip is a popular chips and dip hit. Ripened avocados mixed with aromatics and hints of spice are a delectable treat with just the right amount of tang.
Baked avocado with salmon and eggs
Looking for a quick and easy, yet healthy brunch recipe? This recipe entails baked avocados with salmon and eggs to perk up your brunches.
Best avocado salad recipe
This healthy yet delicious avocado salad recipe is made with creamy avocados, red onions, vibrant tomatoes, crispy cucumbers, as well as fresh herbs perfect for any lunch or dinner.
FAQs
What are the nutritional benefits of an avocado?
Avocados are known to be an excellent source of monounsaturated fat as well as Vitamin E. Their health benefits include supporting heart health, lowering cholesterol, keeping your eyes healthy as well as regulating appetite.
What is avocado hand?
Avocado hand is a term used for injuries one gets after slicing an avocado. These accidents happen because of a lack of proper guidance on how to cut an avocado, underestimating the thinness of the fruit’s skin, or even the sharpness of one’s knife.
Is there any other way to pit and cut an avocado?
You may use specialty tools for pitting and cutting avocados. However, they take up space and perform specialty functions, all of which can be performed with a knife.
In conclusion
We hope that by now you have learned all the ins and outs of how to cut an avocado. Simply following our guide can help you cut up the creamy fruit like a pro without having to buy specialty tools or even getting avocado hands.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab a sharp chef’s knife. It’s avocado time!
