Food & Drink

How to cut avocado safely?

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 20th, 2015 3:26 am
Tags:
None
Banned
Jan 16, 2015
111 posts
14 upvotes
Snow Road Station, O…

How to cut avocado safely?

Was watching jamie oliver talk about avocados.



He mentioned that most people cut their hand trying to take the seed out of avocados because people use the knife and twist method. Not that it matters, but personally I would believe that, except that I don't think its people mostly cutting their hand from taking the seed out with the knife & twist method. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure some people have cut themselves that way. But I'm thinking the most dangerous part is actually from dicing the avocado inside of the skin and that is probably where most of the accidents happen.

The skin is quite thick on the avocado. It gives you an impression its very hard and hard to cut through or penetrate. So you might hold the avocado in the palm of your hand and start dicing them. Then the knife cuts through the skin and cut yourself. I think most people would cut themselves that way most? Not that it matters but I think that part he said was not accurate.

I bring it up because thats when I am most scared of cutting myself when handling avocados. Taking the seed out with the knife & twist part never scared me. Its actually dicing the avocado with the skin on that scares me.

With that said, it leads me to ask how you guys do it? My current method is to hold the avocado halves by the two ends only with a few fingers, leaving the rest of the avocado fully unsupported in the air. Then I dice as usual so that even if the knife cuts through the skin of the avocado, its not cutting into my palms next.
40 replies
Deal Addict
Sep 20, 2014
1637 posts
852 upvotes
Toronto, ON, CA
Cut down the middle.
Slam knife into seed.
Pull/twist.

Why is there even a thread on this? How do you guys spread butter...? Left to right or right to left? Up or down?
Jr. Member
Jul 12, 2009
146 posts
18 upvotes
Cut the avocado in half and then squeeze it gently as if you were squeezing a lemon. Go around in a circle and the seed should pop off pretty easily.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Oct 26, 2002
6617 posts
1014 upvotes
BC
I've never had to watch a video, or have anyone tell me, but that's how I've always done it.
That's my 2cents worth
Banned
Jan 16, 2015
111 posts
14 upvotes
Snow Road Station, O…
Maybe post was too long. Thats not my main question.

How do you safely dice the avocado halves? Or do you do that after you scoop it out of the skin?

I can take out the seed fairly easily. I don't think its that dangerous at all like jamie oliver said. But dicing the avocados with the skin on is what seems dangerous to me and likely to cut yourself. People often assume the thick skin can protect you. Actually a knife can easily cut through that and then cut onto your palm.

Dicing avocados with skin on is a common technique before you scoop it out.
Member
User avatar
Mar 8, 2010
371 posts
38 upvotes
Thanks for the advice, Jamie Oliver.

Is any forum safe from shills these days? jeez...
Banned
User avatar
Jan 27, 2014
5574 posts
2580 upvotes
Has anyone tried avacado milkshakes at home? My family has recently started making them. Before that I never even tried an avacodo. The milkshake is delicious. Probably add some sugar in it?
Member
Aug 15, 2013
228 posts
122 upvotes
Westmount
Try some milk + sugar or maple syrup with it
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jul 29, 2005
9295 posts
3156 upvotes
Mississauga
ar2020 wrote: Has anyone tried avacado milkshakes at home? My family has recently started making them. Before that I never even tried an avacodo. The milkshake is delicious. Probably add some sugar in it?
Use honey instead of sugar.
My food blog - Reggie The Food Critic.
Sr. Member
User avatar
May 28, 2006
838 posts
9 upvotes
Toronto
Add condensed milk to the milkshake..thats what I see the Asian Bubble tea places use....not the healthiest but super delicious...
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2006
31271 posts
17295 upvotes
2009M5 wrote: Cut down the middle.
Slam knife into seed.
Pull/twist.

Why is there even a thread on this? How do you guys spread butter...? Left to right or right to left? Up or down?
Yeah really. It takes me less time to wander downstairs, do the above instructions, grab a butter knife, dice the avocado, scoop the flesh, shut off the light, wander upstairs, take a leak, and go back to watching TV than it would take me to watch a stupid video on how to break down an avocado
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2006
31271 posts
17295 upvotes
peanutavocado wrote: People often assume the thick skin can protect you. Actually a knife can easily cut through that and then cut onto your palm.
Are people that dumb and use a real knife to dice an avocado in the skin?
The same knife they just used to split it?
Deal Fanatic
Oct 27, 2009
5755 posts
7939 upvotes
Ontario
The way Jamie is moving that knife while saying how not to use it is scary. Thought by now he might be using a cutting board with the built-in drawer for peelings!
One time, I got an avocado plastic device (freebie) at the food show in Toronto. The person who ate avocados at home would not use it (cutter and scooping device that fit in the palm of the hand). Never used it myself as I don't like the texture of the fruit.
Have new cookbooks but am not cooking anything new yet.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Dec 3, 2009
6029 posts
1391 upvotes
Toronto
I thought everyone did it like that. If you haven't, RFD should practice that maneuver in the air with their rubber training knives.
Remember to be an RFD-er and NOT a degenerate.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jul 29, 2005
9295 posts
3156 upvotes
Mississauga
Tbh, the first post was really hard and strange to read. :confused:
My food blog - Reggie The Food Critic.
Deal Guru
Jun 29, 2010
10717 posts
5521 upvotes
Toronto
strange post.

anyhow, i stopped using the spooning out method awhile ago. i prefer peeling off the skin like this.
Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best.
Deal Fanatic
Nov 3, 2007
8443 posts
2349 upvotes
Toronto
^^^ That's exactly how I cut my avocados. Cut it 4 times lengthwise. Take it apart and the seed will stick to one piece which will be easy to twist out. Then peel the skin off like a sliced orange.
Banned
Jan 16, 2015
111 posts
14 upvotes
Snow Road Station, O…
death_hawk wrote: Are people that dumb and use a real knife to dice an avocado in the skin?
The same knife they just used to split it?
And whats wrong with using the same knife? What are you some kind of germophobe with irrational fears? What you don't wash your fruits and vegetables before you slice into them? You think that brief contact of the sharp blade on the outer skin contaminates the knife? Yet that same blade necessarily cut into the inside of the avocado in order to do the initial halving in the first place so it was unavoidable anyway?

I don't get your point.
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2006
31271 posts
17295 upvotes
peanutavocado wrote: And whats wrong with using the same knife?
Because unless you're using a butter knife to slice it, sharp knives can pierce skin of both the avocado and your hand.
Apparently that video does need to exist after all....
What you don't wash your fruits and vegetables before you slice into them?
Actually I don't. There's a few exceptions but as a rule I don't wash before I cut unless in an industrial environment where we have vegetable sanitizer.
Banned
Jan 16, 2015
111 posts
14 upvotes
Snow Road Station, O…
Watch this video. Skip to 1:30.



The guy does the dicing of the avocado in his palm. Pretty common technique. I've seen some chefs do it. Thats the dangerous part of handling avocados. Not the slicing in half and taking seed out. That part is easy.

Thats what I mean. When jamie oliver said people cut their hand with avocado, I think more people cut their hand dicing it than trying to take the seed out.

BTW, dicing with skin on is way better and cleaner to handle than taking the skin off and then dicing on a board. First, less stuff to clean when dicing with skin on, then you can throw that into your food mix or directly onto bread or a bowl to do your guacamole, or whatever you're trying to make. Instead, if you take the meat out first and then dice it elsewhere on a board, its time consuming, messy and one extra thing to clean. Thats why restaurants dice with skin on. Fast and effective. Just gotta make sure you don't cut yourself.

Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)