In season from spring through fall, fresh avocados are one of our most treasured fruits, from breakfast to dinner and everything in between!
Not only are they nutritious — healthy fat for the win! — but they are creamy, delicious, and make every dish they touch better than before.
Select a ripe avocado: look for one that is a dark green or black. An unripe avocado, by contrast, is one that is a brighter green.
If you’re not using the avocados within a few days, buy under ripe avocados and let them sit on your counter top for a few days until they ripen.
How to tell whether your avocado is ripe: it should be firm, but give a little when you press down gently with your palm.
Avoid mushy avocados or any that have dark blemishes on the skin. These are overripe and will have lots of brown spots on the inside.
Tips For Ripening Avocados
- Place under ripe avocados in a brown paper bag, then fold the top over to seal and store at room temperature until ripe, about 2-5 days.
- Adding an apple or kiwi to the brown bag will speed up the ripening process.
How to Cut an Avocado
- Hold the avocado firmly in one hand, then carefully use a knife to cut through the peel, pressing down until the knife meets the pit.
- Cut the avocado length-wise, working your way completely around the pit.
- Remove the knife and set aside, then put one hand on each side of the sliced avocado and twist the pieces away from each other. The avocado should pop open revealing two halves, one of which is housing the avocado pit.
Removing the Pit
The easiest way to remove an avocado pit is with the help of a chef’s knife. Place the avocado in one hand, then use your dominant hand to hold a chef’s knife and firmly tap into the pit.
If you’re concerned about your hand, fold a kitchen towel over and place it behind the avocado before you begin.
One swift tap and the knife should lock into the pit.
To remove pit, hold avocado firmly in your hand, then twist the knife and pit to the side, 45 degrees. The pit should wedge free and release from the flesh of the avocado.
To remove pit from knife: use the kitchen towel in your hand or a paper towel – NOT YOUR HAND! – and pull the pit off the knife. Alternatively, you can place the pit over a bowl, such as a mixing bowl, and pull the knife away from the edge, allowing the pit to break free and drop into the bowl.
Whichever method you use, be cautious and keep your hand away from the blade of the knife!
How To Peel An Avocado
A ripe avocado should peel easily, whereas an unripe avocado is very difficult to peel.
Simply slide your thumb under the skin of the fruit, then lift to peel back. If the fruit is ripe, the skin will usually come off in one piece. If this doesn’t happen, just repeat until all skin is removed.
Use a paper towel or kitchen towel to smooth any imperfections on the avocado!
Smoothing Out The Flesh
One of the greatest tips I learned while working in restaurant kitchens was how to remove imperfections from peeled avocados.
It may not sound like much, but how gorgeous does a clean, ripe, peeled avocado look?! See below for proof!
If once you’ve peeled the avocado you noticed a few minor brown pieces or small indentations (I’m not talking major discoloration from an over ripe avocado that has turned to mush), simply use a kitchen towel or paper towel to gently wipe the surface.
To do this, you’ll want to place the avocado cut side down on a cutting board. Fold over a paper towel or kitchen towel, then very gently rub the surface of the avocado to smooth out.
Cutting Thin Slices
The avocado can be cut into long, thin pieces (as shown below) or short, thin pieces (by rotating the avocado 90 degrees and cutting it on the short side).
Either way, use a paring knife to cut all the way down, top to bottom, making even slices across the entire length of the avocado. That’s it!
How To Fan Open an Avocado
Once the avocado has been thinly sliced into strips, use the palm of your hand to gently press the avocado down in one direction only. The pieces should naturally fan out in whichever direction you pushed them.
To lift and transfer to a plate (these look beautiful on salads!), carefully slide a chef’s knife or spatula underneath fanned out avocado, then lift. Place down carefully on a new plate.
Dicing (or Cubing) an Avocado
Once you’ve removed the peel and gently wiped down avocado flesh to remove any imperfections, place avocado cut side down on a flat surface.
Use a paring knife to cut the avocado into a grid as shown below, then gently break apart with your hands into small dice.
Dicing An Avocado Directly In The Peel
Certainly you do not need to peel the avocado first if you do not want to. In the restaurant world, we had to, but I understand that you’re busy and want to save time!
Use a paring knife to score the flesh of the avocado into a grid, as shown below, then carefully use a large spoon to scoop out the avocado, getting as close to the skin as possible.
Transfer to a bowl or plate, then discard skin.
Prevent Avocado From Turning Brown
Shortly after being exposed to air, avocado will begin to oxidize. If you aren’t eating the avocado right away, squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on any exposed part of the avocado (the citric acid is a natural preservative). If the avocado is still in the peel, you do not need to squeeze citrus on the peel.
Don’t have fresh citrus? White vinegar will work in a pinch!
To preserve avocado that has already been prepared (such as guacamole), the only trick that works is to prevent air from having contact with the food.
Take a piece of plastic wrap, then press firmly onto the food, ensuring that it makes direct contact and there is no air in between. If a tiny bit of oxidation occurs when you return to the food (nothing is perfect), simply scrape off the very top layer – everything underneath will remain bright green!
The old trick of using an avocado pit to preserve food does not work. We’ve tried!
How to Prolong the Life of Ripe Avocados
Place ripe avocados in a refrigerator for 3-4 days to prolong shelf life.
What To Do With Avocados
Oh, the possibilities are endless! Of course there’s the classic avocado toast or guacamole, but here are some other favorite recipes that include the highly coveted fruit:
- avocado salad with tomatoes and scallions (pictured below)
- mashed on a sandwich in place of mayonnaise or mustard
- pan-seared halibut with avocado risotto
- creamy avocado salad dressing
- shrimp salad stuffed avocados
I could go on and on forever! Perhaps one of my favorite ways to each fresh avocado, however, is with a little Everything But The Bagel seasoning blend sprinkled on top. Could not be easier or more delicious!
If you use this guide to learn how to cut avocado, please let me know by leaving a rating and review below!
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For recipes that use avocado, be sure to check out the following!
- Avocado and heirloom tomato salad
- Blackened salmon with pineapple avocado salsa
- Shrimp lettuce wrap recipe
- Deconstructed falafel sandwich
- Red flannel beet hash with dill and avocado
How to Cut Avocado Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
Instructions
How to Cut Avocado
- Hold the avocado firmly in one hand, then carefully use a knife to cut through the peel, pressing down until the knife meets the pit. Cut the avocado length-wise, working your way completely around the pit.
- Twist both halves of avocado away from each other. The avocado should pop open revealing two halves, one of which is housing the avocado pit.
To Remove Pit
- Hold avocado half firmly in your hand, then swiftly tap a chefs knife into the pit. Twist the knife and pit to the side, 45 degrees. The pit should wedge free and release from the flesh of the avocado.
- To remove pit from knife: use a kitchen towel or folded paper towel – NOT YOUR HAND! – and pull the pit off the knife. Alternatively, you can place the pit over a bowl, such as a mixing bowl, and pull the knife away from the edge, allowing the pit to break free and drop into the bowl.
To Peel
- Slide your thumb under the skin of the fruit, then lift to peel back.
To Smooth Avocado Flesh
- Place the avocado cut side down on a cutting board. Fold over a paper towel or kitchen towel, then very gently rub the surface of the avocado to smooth any imperfections.
To Cut Peeled Avocado Into Thin Slices
- Use a paring knife to cut all the way down the fruit, from top to bottom, making even slices across the entire length of the avocado.
To Dice Peeled Avocado
- Use a paring knife to cut the avocado into a grid, cutting equal squares first horizontally and then vertically. Gently break apart with your hands into a small dice.
To Dice an Unpeeled Avocado
- Use a paring knife to score the flesh of the avocado into a grid, then carefully use a large spoon to scoop out the avocado, getting as close to the skin as possible.
Notes
- To preserve shelf life of already ripe whole avocados: place in refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, then use.
- To prevent oxidation: squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on any exposed part of the avocado. White vinegar works too!
- To preserve avocado that has already been prepared (such as guacamole): prevent air from having contact with the food. Take a piece of plastic wrap, then press firmly onto the food, ensuring that it makes direct contact and there is no air in between. If a tiny bit of oxidation occurs, simply scrape off the very top layer – everything underneath will remain bright green!
- Can I preserve avocados by storing them with the pit? Doesn’t work, we’ve tried!
For recipes that use avocado, be sure to check out the following!
- Avocado and heirloom tomato salad
- Blackened salmon with pineapple avocado salsa
- Whole30 avotacos (plantain-crusted avocado tacos!)
- Shrimp lettuce wrap recipe
- Deconstructed falafel sandwich
- Red flannel beet hash with dill and avocado
Let us know your thoughts!