Avocados have become an essential ingredient in modern kitchens around the world, celebrated for their creamy texture, rich flavor, and numerous health benefits. In this guide, I’ll show you my tips on how to cut an avocado like a pro with two most popular methods: scooping method and slicing method.

How to know if the avocado is ripe

Of course, it’s essential to start with the right avocado, or else your avocado will be really bad or even iedible. The key lies in understanding the subtle signs that indicate ripeness and readiness for consumption.

Color Clues: A ripe avocado typically features dark green or purple-black skin. Avoid avocados with overly bright green skin, as they might need more time to ripen.
Texture Matters: Gently press the avocado’s skin to assess its texture. A ripe avocado should yield slightly to pressure without feeling mushy.
Stem Test: Carefully remove the small stem at the top of the avocado. If the stem is easily removed and the area underneath is green, the avocado is ripe and ready. If it’s brown, the avocado might be overripe or have brown spots.
Firmness: A ripe avocado should feel slightly soft when you give it a gentle squeeze. Avoid avocados that are too hard (unripe) or too soft (overripe).
Ripening Stages: Consider purchasing avocados at different stages of ripeness to consume in a longer time. Choose firmer ones for future use and softer ones for immediate consumption.

How to cut an avocado easily and safely

Safety first

Cutting an avocado can be dangerous, it’s true. The thing which makes the cutting process of an avocado more risky is its hard pit inside the soft and silky flesh. In the previous year, researchers from Emory University labeled the ominously termed “avocado hand” as a prevalent occurrence of hand injuries, observing an increase in such instances. Therefore, one of the top factors to focus when you cut an avocado is to avoid any injury for your hands. Let’s learn how.

Stable Cutting Surface: Place your cutting board on a flat and stable surface (or you can cut right on a clean table, never cut an avocado without a flat surface) to prevent any wobbling or slipping during the cutting process.
Proper Hand Placement and Knife Handling: Hold the avocado securely with one hand while keeping your fingers away from the cutting path. Grip the knife firmly, keeping your fingers curled in a claw-like position to protect them.
Choose not-too-good knife: Similar to cutting a dragon fruit, avocado flesh is soft, and you don’t have to use your sharpest knife in the kitchen to cut it because it can arise more danger. Just take an old, small, not too sharp knife.

Steps to cut an avocado

Let’s learn how to cut an avocado in 2 methods: Scooping and Slicing.

Slice Around the Avocado’s Equator:

(1) Remove the stem first.
(2) Hold the avocado in one hand and the knife in the other. Make a vertical cut around the middle of the avocado, rotating it as you go.
(3 & 4) Gently twist the two halves to separate them, revealing the inner pit. The pit should remain attached to one half.

Removing the Pit:

With the half containing the pit, carefully place the knife’s tip into the pit.
Gently twist the knife anticlockwise to dislodge the pit from the flesh.
Avoid applying excessive force to prevent accidents.

Removing the Flesh

There are two methods: the scooping method and the slicing method.

Scooping Method:

Use a spoon to scoop the flesh away from the skin, following the curved shape of the avocado. However, this method is not ideal to keep a perfectly smooth shape for it. To keep the flesh’s pattern, you should make a small cut on the skin and tear it out like step 2-3 of the second method below.

Cutting the flesh into a preferred shape

After scopping out the the flesh, you can cut it into:

Cubes: Create small, uniform cubes that can be easily incorporated into salads, salsas, and wraps by cutting parallel horizontal and vertical lines.
Slices: For a stunning garnish, slice thin, slightly curved avocado slices and after that, you can arrange them in a circular pattern to resemble a rose or just simply fan out the slices.

Slicing Method:

(1) Keep the avocado half with the skin on the cutting board. Create vertical or horizontal slices within the avocado while it’s still in the skin.
Gently make a cut on the skin (2) and tear it to reveal the cuttened flesh (3).

With the pit removed and the flesh extracted, you now have beautifully prepared avocado halves ready to be used in your meals.

Preventing Avocado Browning

Once you’ve skillfully cut your avocado, you’ll want to preserve its vibrant green color and prevent the unsightly browning that can occur due to oxidation. Here’s how you can keep your avocado looking and tasting its best:

Lemon Juice: Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over the exposed flesh of the avocado. The citric acid in lemon juice helps slow down the oxidation process, keeping the avocado from turning brown.
Plastic Wrap: If you’re not using the entire avocado at once, wrap the leftover half tightly in plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap is in direct contact with the flesh to minimize exposure to air.
Keep the Pit: If you’re not using both halves of the avocado, leave the pit in the unused half. The pit helps create a barrier between the flesh and the air, reducing the browning process.
Storage Container: Store cut avocados in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the flesh. This minimizes air exposure and helps maintain freshness.

Remember that while these methods can slow down the browning process, it’s still best to consume cut avocados as soon as possible for optimal flavor and texture.

So you know all about how to cut an avocado perfectly but safely. Let’s practice a bit more and become master in cutting it!

How to cut an avocado easily and safely

Yield: Avocado slices/cubes

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

In this guide, I'll show you my tips on how to cut an avocado like a pro with two most popular methods: scooping method and slicing method.

Materials

Avocado

Tools

1 Cutting board
A not-too-sharp knife