Here's the right way to cut an avocado without injuring yourself

LIFESTYLE

Here's the right way to cut an avocado without injuring yourself

Melissa Gray, Andrea Diaz and Scottie Andrew CNN
Published Saturday, February 1, 2020 11:53AM EST Last Updated Saturday, February 1, 2020 12:22PM EST

Amid reports of rising avocado prices in Mexico and the U.S., one food expert says Canada is also experiencing an 鈥渁vocado crisis鈥� that could abate by the fall. (Foodie Factor/Pexels)

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Probably because guacamole is such a perfect gameday snack, it's no surprise that we tend to .

But eating more avocados means more injuries from cutting those avocados. There were an estimated 50,413 "avocado-related knife injuries" from 1998 to 2017, published last year in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine -- and the number increased over time as more people consumed avocados.

Don't be an avocado hand victim this year.

There are several "right ways" to cut an avocado, but they all come down to a few basic ideas:

You need well-ripened avocados. That means they need to be black, not green. If all you can find at the store are the green ones, then let them ripen on the counter at home for a couple of days before using them.

You need a large, sharp kitchen knife.

And please, don't hold the avocado in the palm of your hand while cutting!

Step 1

Place the avocado on a cutting board. Starting at the stem end, slowly cut into the avocado, stopping when you feel the knife reach the pit. Continue the slice all the way around until you come back to the stem.

Step 2

Make a second cut all the way around in order to create four quarters.

Step 3

Gently hold the avocado with both hands and twist the two sides apart.

Step 4

The halves, and the quarters, should separate smoothly.

Step 5

Pop the pit with your hands -- no knife necessary!

Step 6

To remove the rind, start at a corner of one of the quarters and peel off carefully.

What you do with the perfectly sliced avocado is up to you. Mash it for guacamole, slather it on toast or sprinkle spices on top and eat it plain. Avocado tastes that much better when you prepare it without injury.