How to Cut and Peel an Avocado

Posted on February 23rd, 2009 by Elaine

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

No Comments (Post Comment)

Republish

Fresh avocado is always a delicious treat, but you must first know how to cut it properly, otherwise, you’ll end up with a mushy fruit that doesn’t look appetizing at all. If you want to know how to cut and peel an avocado meticulously, here are a few steps to follow.

What You’ll Need:

An avocado
A small, sharp knife
A larger sharp knife, preferably one that is serrated
A spoon
Kitchen towel

Procedure

Wash the avocado, then dry it and your hands, so it won’t slip when you’re cutting it.
With one hand, gently grip the avocado on one side. Hold the large knife in your other hand, then start cutting the avocado lengthwise, until you bump against its seed. Cut around the seed, in a clear circular motion. Your knife has to be sharp enough for you do to this smoothly.

peeling avocado

Once you’ve gone around, twist the avocado halves gently, to separate them. When you do this, the pit remains lodged on one of the halves.
To remove the pit from the halves, create another lengthwise cut, cutting carefully around it, so the pit is more exposed, and easier to remove.
There’s another way to do this, but it’s a bit tricky; you need a careful and steady hand for this, or else you might cut yourself. For additional safety, fold a kitchen towel, and use it to hold the avocado half. Using your knife, tap the pit gently, with just enough force for the knife to wedge into the pit, but without it going all the way through. You can tap a few times, adding a bit of pressure with every tap, until you make a cut in the pit, and you can twist it out properly. This method might require a bit of practice, though.
Using the edge of the knife, twist the pit out of the avocado half, and throw it away. You can now scoop the avocado’s flesh out using a spoon, or slice it into segments.
If you’re mashing the avocado, such as if you’re making guacamole, use the spoon method, since it’s easier. Use the small knife to cut cross-hatch patterns into the avocado flesh, but not breaking through the peel.
If you’re making avocado slices, just slice inside the avocado halves, making several sections. It’s okay to cut through the peel. Separate the segments from the peel using your fingers.

Avocado tastes good, whether for guacamole, or mixed into recipes. Remember the simple steps above, and come up with a perfectly peeled and cut fruit.