How to Prepare and Cut Avocados

How to Pick an Avocado

Learning how to tell if an avocado is ripe is key—no one likes tossing out overripe produce or waiting days on end for it to be ripe. While you’re at the store, look for avocados that are not bruised or ones that feels too soft, and have no gouges or broken skin. If you’re not using the avocado for three or four days (way to plan ahead!), choose firm avocados. If you need to use the avocados right away, choose a ripe avocado that yields to gentle pressure when cradled in your hand.

Firmness. Avocados are best to eat when they are slightly softened, but not completely mushy.  You’ll want them to give a little bit when you apply firm but gentle pressure. Buy slightly harder, less ripe avocados if you are planning to use them a few days after purchasing.

Stem. A quick trick I like to use to confirm an avocado’s ripeness is to peel back the stem. If it is a beautiful green underneath and the stem peels easily, the avocado is ripe and ready to eat.

Store avocados at room temperature until they ripen, then refrigerate and use within three days. Refrigeration slows avocado ripening. One way to gently speed the ripening process is to put an unripe avocado in a sealed paper bag with an apple, banana, or kiwi for 2-4 days.

PROPER WASHING AND DRYING: According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, when preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparation. No, we don’t eat the skin, but according to the FDA, one in five avocado skins can carry harmful bacteria like listeria or salmonella, so please don’t skip this step!

When preparing avocados, be careful to prevent cross-contamination by keeping your avocado preparation area clean and separate from other foods such as meat, poultry or seafood. Be mindful of other foods and surfaces they may come in contact with.

• Even if you plan to peel the produce before eating, it is still important to wash it first.
• Drying produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel may further reduce bacteria that may be present.
• All produce should be thoroughly washed before eating. This includes produce grown conventionally or organically at home, or produce that is purchased from a grocery store or farmer’s market. Wash fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

Avocado can be used in everything from savory breakfast foods to sweet desserts, so knowing how to peel an avocado and use its flesh in so many recipes comes in handy!

• Avocados, ripe.
• A sharp paring knife, or chef’s knife. Being gentle and careful, you’ll need a sharp knife for precision.
• Large cutting board. Having a stable surface is necessary.
• A spoon. For scooping out the flesh from the skin.
• Tea towel. To use for grip.

How to cut or slice avocados in half

Cutting these green beauties incorrectly can result in cutting through to your skin and fingers, causing avocado hand! Here, we’ll show you how to cut an avocado, how to pit an avocado the best (and safest) way, and how to keep an avocado fresh after cutting. Toast, smoothies, and salads featuring avocados are all in your future!

1. SECURE YOUR WORKSPACE: Place the avocado lengthwise on a secure surface such as a cutting board or a clean kitchen towel.
   *Tip: place a clean dish towel on your counter or under your cutting board to prevent slipping.
2. CUT IN HALF: Hold the avocado securely with one hand on top on of the avocado. Using a small pairing knife in the other hand, starting at the narrower end, pierce through the skin. You’ll notice that the skin is a bit rough and bumpy, but once you cut through, a portion of it the rest of the way should be smooth.
   Slowly slice down the center lengthwise around the seed rotating making one ring-of-a-cut around the equator of the avocado as you move along. The blade should be deep enough into the avocado that you can feel the pit.
3. TWIST TO OPEN: Once you have the avocado cut in half. Holding the avocado steady in the palm of one hand, use your other hand to twist and rotate the two halves apart, revealing the large pit in one of the two halves.

How to remove the seed or pit of a fresh avocado

1. Grab a kitchen towel and place it in one hand. Use it to grip the avocado half that has the pit in it. Remove the seed by slipping a spoon between the seed and fruit.
2. Gently work the seed out of the fruit.

*Tip: Leave the seed in if you plan to store one half!

How to peel a fresh avocado

1. Simply slice the avocado in half or cut into wedges.
2. Then use your thumb to peel back a bit of the skin. You can also use a small spoon to scoop out that green fruit. Grasp the outer dark layer or skin and pull it away from the inner green flesh of the fruit. If some of the darker almost black portions of the skin remain on the green flesh of the fruit, simply cut them away. The yellow to green portions of the avocado are what you want. Do not consume the peel.
3. Note: the skin may be more difficult to peel away on the fruit that is not fully ripe. Do NOT consume the skin.

Ready for a slice of heaven? Avocado goodness comes in a few different shapes.

From there, you can slice or chop to your desire right on the cutting board. If making guacamole, no need to slice or cube. Place peeled avocado halves into a bowl and mash with a fork.

How to Keep Avocado Fresh After Cutting 

If you aren’t using your freshly cut avocado right away, you’ll want to make sure you store them properly to keep them fresh after cutting. There are a few ways to do this.

Lemon or any citrus juice slows oxidation so putting lemon juice on the avocado can be helpful. It just may change the taste a little bit. Storing your halved avocado face down on a plate will also help stop any oxidization.

• When it’s diced or sliced. If you plan on using your cut avocado within the same day you’ve cut it, place them in a bowl of cold water and drain and pat dry with a paper towel just before using them. The water will help prevent the pieces from turning brown.
• When it’s mashed. If you have mashed avocado, put it in a bowl along with the pit and squeeze lemon juice or lime juice over top. Cover with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge. Even if there is a brown layer that forms, you can just scrape it off and find a nice green layer right underneath.
• When it’s cut in half. Brush the open sides with olive oil and place face down on a plate. The oil will act as a barrier to the oxygen helping to preserve its color. Rinse the oil off before using.

Why do avocados turn brown? 

Once sliced open, the interior of the avocado will turn brown due to oxidation (enzymes in the flesh react with oxygen). Although the brown pigment may not look very pretty, it’s still safe to eat!

Do you peel avocado before slicing? 

This is a personal preference! I find it easiest to peel the skin off completely before slicing so that you can easily cut the flesh into clean slices right on the cutting board. 

To Freeze: Avocados can be frozen in slices, chunks, or as a puree, mixed or tossed with lemon or lime juice to prevent browning. Place cut pieces on a wax paper-lined baking sheet, and freeze for up to 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag with as much air removed as possible. Like this, avocado can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. 

To Reheat: Frozen avocado should be thawed in the fridge or at room temperature. Heating avocado can turn it mushy and bitter, so this should be avoided.

Favorite Ways to Enjoy Your Avocado

• Liven up your morning breakfast by making gourmet avocado toast
• Add to salsas, breakfast or lunch tacos burritos, ceviche, Buddha bowls
• As a topping in salads or lettuce wraps
• Blend in a creamy avocado smoothie or dressings
• Think outside the kitchen: Delicious as they are, avocados also make an amazing ingredient for hair and face masks, and other moisturizing beauty products!