How to Cut an Avocado

Growing up in Southern California, where avocados are in abundance, and we eat avocados all the time, I just always thought that everyone knew how to cut them and how to remove the seed.   But the other night while at a Christmas party, we were talking to someone who was telling us how she had cut herself very badly while removing the seed from an avocado, and she now has an aversion to cutting them.  That was a real eye opener to me.  So I thought I would show everyone how to properly remove the seed from an avocado to prevent anyone else cutting themselves while in the process.  This post is more of a public service announcement or a PSA, and is not like my normal posts.  I want everyone to be safe now rather than sorry later.

Once you know how, cutting avocados is really pretty easy.  Start with a sharp knife at the top of the avocado, right where the stem is.  Insert the knife at the stem and rotate the avocado away from you.  You will have one even cut that will cut the avocado in cleanly in half.   Slap the blade of the knife hard into the center of the seed.

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Give the knife and seed a slight turn to one side, which will loosen the seed from its pocket. The seed will come out of its pocket very easily, while still attached to the knife.

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Carefully remove the seed from the knife.  If you are using the whole avocado, and there will be no leftovers, discard the seed.  If you are only going to use part of the avocado, or if you are making guacamole, keep the seed and place it back on the remaining avocado or into the guacamole to help keep it fresh and to help preserve the “greenness” of the avocado.  Lemon or lime juice will also help.

Once the seed has been removed from the fruit, take a large spoon, and gently go around the edges of the skin and the “meat”, making sure to support the meat of the fruit with the spoon, and all the meat will come out of the skin very easily, in one piece.  This works best when the avocados are ripe.  With unripened avocados, you do the same thing, but unfortunately, the meat is more firm and does not cooperate as well.  If the avocados are not ripe, and you have a couple of days to wait before using them, place them in a brown paper bag with a banana to help soften and ripen them.

IMG_4356Once the avocado has been removed from its skin and the seed has been removed, it is ready for you to eat and enjoy how you like.  Desfruitas!

 

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Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

I have worked in the restaurant and catering industry for over 35 years. I attended 2 culinary schools in Southern California, and have a degree in culinary arts from the Southern California School of Culinary Arts, as well as a few other degrees in other areas. I love to cook and I love to feed people.

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