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How to Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers!

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Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

 
I love my guac! And if a big bowl is in front of me with fresh tortilla chips, I can eat the entire thing in one sitting. Just don’t expect me to share any of it!

To make a big bowl of guacamole (I love saying that word), you have to start with lots of perfectly ripe avocados. Not too soft, not too hard, with just that perfect give. I’ve been known to fondle every avocado in the store before selecting one. Notice I didn’t say squeeze, abuse or push … just a light pressure with the hands.

The first time I ever opened an avocado, I tried dislodging the pit the way that I saw fancy chefs do it on television. But thwacking a sharp chef’s knife into the center of the pit and then wrestling the slippery pit off the knife’s edge is a dangerous activity. I’m not going to go into detail on how that ended, other than we didn’t have guacamole that night.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

Let’s start with these two lovelies.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

Go ahead and make that first cut into the avocado. Have your hand resting on the cutting board to steady the avocado.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

Go all the way around the avocado.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

Now sing with me: “Twist! Twist! Let’s do the twist!”

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

And open! Okay, this avocado has a couple of brown spots. But that’s okay, you can either spoon out that portion or just leave it. When you mash it up for guac, no one will notice, I promise.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

You can hold it like this and thwack the end of the knife in the pit of the avocado—but it’s dangerous. What if you MISS??? The pit is slippery and round. The bottom of the avocado is curved. There’s lots of room for error.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

Instead, hold the avocado in a thick towel and then thwack. You want the edge of the blade to lodge in the pit.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

Twist again …

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

And pull out the pit. But how do ya get the sucker off your knife? The pit is lodged in there! Chefs will show you to use your thumb and push the pit away and off the blade. I’ve also seen people try to PRY the darn pit off with their bare hands. Yikes! I don’t know about you, but that seems mighty dangerous to me. Here’s a better and safer way.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

Hold your knife just like so at the edge of your kitchen sink.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

Put your thumb on the outside edge of the counter top.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

And PUSH using your thumb as leverage! The pit should pop right off.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: How To Open An Avocado and Keep All 10 Fingers. Guest post by Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen.

Score! 2 points right in the basket.

This is a great method to teach kids, too. Anyways, that’s the way that I do it!

So, tell me, what’s your favorite recipe using avocados? Gimme some ideas! Send me links to your blogs if you have one or links to recipes here on Tasty Kitchen!

 
 
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Jaden Hair is a food writer, television personality, and food photographer based in Tampa Bay, Florida. Find more of her recipes on her blog, Steamy Kitchen, where you can also read more about Jaden’s new book, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, and the rave reviews it’s received!

 

68 Comments

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EricaB. on 2.26.2010

I use a spoon as well – if you use a large spoon (I have spoons that are smaller than serving, but larger than normal) you can just scoop it out without taking any avocado with it. Then I use the spoon to scoop out the avocado from the skin to slice it or mash up for guacamole.

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AMC on 2.26.2010

I agree about eating the whole bowl of guac!!!!!! my husband doesn;t like it so I end up eating it all!! I use avacados, tomatoes, lime juice, and salt(lots of salt) in mine. thats my favorite way. I also love to use avacados in salads and salad dressings.Delicious!!

Kendra R. on 2.26.2010

I could eat avocados plain, every day if I had the chance. But I’m famous amongst my friends for my guacamole recipe. I have to bring it to every event.

Amelia on 2.26.2010

I once used a knife that needed sharpening to try thwack the pit. It deflected off the pit and hit my hand, right in the meaty part of my thumb (does everyone have a meaty part of their thumbs or is it just me?). Luckily there was no blood because I was alone and would have panicked, but I learned my lesson! I never thought opening avocadoes would be as dangerous as shucking oysters.

Linda on 2.26.2010

Very good info, I will pass along. My favorite use for avacados is in a winter citrus salad – oranges, grapefruit segments, green onions, romaine and dressing made with lemon juice, s & p, olive oil and a bit of sugar. My daughter, when little, would drink whatever was left in the bottom of the bowl and call it gravy!

Renee on 2.26.2010

Good tip for getting the pit off the knife! And after getting it off the knife, if you put the pit at the bottom of the guacamole bowl it will actually keep the guacamole from turning brown! Very cool tip that I learned from some cooking show :)

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the country cook on 2.26.2010

huh…I guess I’m the only one who has never even heard of the thwack method…I always got my pit out with a spoon…

Abby @ They Lend Me Their Hearts on 2.26.2010

I’ve always just spooned it out. Does anyone have a good Guacamole recipe that does NOT include cilantro?

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MamaFoodie on 2.26.2010

You make it look so easy! Once I sliced my hand doing the thwack- I now only to the squeeze and pop out method. Messier- but no stitches involved!

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ivoryhut on 2.26.2010

My favorite recipe using avocados: avocado ice cream! I can’t wait to get an ice cream maker and make some at home. Sometimes, I’ll also make an avocado shake. Yummy.

My husband likes avocado sandwiches, or sometimes when we do a roti or naan dinner, we’ll have a variety of dishes like fried tomatoes with saltfish, sauteed pumpkin, or curry shrimp, and avocado slices on the side. The creaminess really helps offset the salt and some of the heat from the hot pepper sauce that’s a mainstay on our table.

Lindsay on 2.26.2010

I always walk over to the trashcan with the pit on the knife and smack the handle of the knife on the edge of the bin. The pit pops off straight into the trashcan. No muss no fuss!

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:D'anne on 2.26.2010

Ha! Once I was trying to de-pit, went for it at the wrong angle and plunged a paring knife into the palm of my hand about a half an inch.

Kate on 2.26.2010

OMG…I *just* punctured my hand very badly yesterday prying out an avocado pit. How ironic…

Joyce on 2.26.2010

First the spaghetti squash and now this. We must have identical meal plans.

Casey - The Baker Bee on 2.26.2010

Great tips, thanks!

Heather on 2.26.2010

Good thinking! I’ve always pried it off and never really thought about the potentially disastrous consequences. And I’m a piano player! Gasp.
Anyway, I shall now go on to live a much healthier happier avocado filled life :P So thanks.

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emihill on 2.26.2010

Okay, I’ve nearly lost a finger or two doing the “thwack” thing and yet I keep doing it. Silly me! But now I know better and will definitely use a towel next time to keep everything steady. Thanks for the tip–I needed it!

Fran on 2.26.2010

Great tip for dislodging the pit. I’ve used the knife method for years, but am always on the precipice of disaster when getting the pit off. Finally, I have a safe method. Thank you!