Odd Enough: How to remove the pit of an avocado without slicing your hand off

Enjoy everyone's favorite type of produce without getting "avocado hand."

Avocados are the key ingredient in amazing toast, guacamole, tacos, salads, and more.

And they're packed with healthy fats and vitamins(although a little goes a long way with these guys since they are fairly calorie-dense). But they are surprisingly tricky to cut, namely because of the giant pit in the center.

It's slippery on the outside, tough on the inside—a combination that leads many amateur avocado eaters to accidentally cut themselves when trying to remove said pit.

We talked with Emily Hankey, a Whole Foods produce butcher, on how to slice up avocado while avoiding the dreaded avocado hand. Here's her step-by-step: 

1. Using a chef's knife, slice into your avocado until you hit the pit in the center. Then, rotate the fruit so you cut all the way around the pit. 

2. Hold the avocado, and twist with your hand to separate the two halves. 

3. Take the half with the pit, and flip it over so that the cut side is facing down. Carefully cut around the pit again.

4. Twist the pieces apart to separate, then simply pull out the pit. 

5. Peel away the skin from the flesh with a spoon. Begin where you see the green avocado meeting the hard skin, and scoop from there (you don't want to leave any deliciousness behind!).

6. Slice the peeled sections of avocado. 

If you want to prevent browning, Hankey recommends squeezing a little lemon or lime juice on your cut pieces. 

For the full tutorial, watch the video above. 

Enjoy everyone's favorite type of produce without getting "avocado hand." Read Full Story