Knife Skills…How to Cube an Avocado

I sometimes forget that there was once a time that I was completely clueless on how to dice, slice and cube an avocado without accidentally severing a nub or two.  But I am here to tell you…there was a time that I too was knife handicapped and took a few slices to the fingers.

Culinary school certainly was the ultimate place to learn how to use proper knife skills without splattering blood all over the cutting board.  Although, the first few weeks of class were called the band-aid weeks, because we all diced our thumbs instead of our onions and ended up decorating our fingers with various band-aids.

But ladies and gentlemen, culinary school is expensive…trust me I’m still paying my loans off.

But that’s why you fabulous readers have me!!!! I am doing a whole series on how to properly slice, dice and chop your veggies so you save your nubs and your time!

Today we start with my favorite: the avocado.  A wonderful fruit. (Yup. Technically it is a fruit).

And in four easy steps we will have gorgeously cubed avocado.

Step 1.  Carefully with a knife cut the avocado in half.  (Don’t judge me, I forgot to take the label off and cut right through it.)

Then we are going to stick our knife into the pit.  This is why you need a nice large chef knife or Santuko knife.  Try and place the knife into the pit near the center of the blade or towards the handle, you will have more control this way.

Side note: I get asked frequently what kind of knives I recommend.  And the answer is…one YOU like.  It has to be comfortable in YOUR hand.  Not mine.  I really love Global knives.  They are Japanese knives made out of one piece of metal that are super light.  They also have little rivets on the knife handle that have a nice grip.  Their Santuko knife fits my hand perfectly.  Remember a knife should be an extension of your entire arm it should not feel like dead weight.  I am 5’4 and have a small frame, so their 6 inch knife is perfect for me.  Don’t get a gigantic chef’s knife if you are a tiny little thing…you might as well try slicing your onion with a machete.  Get a knife that feels good and solid in your hand.  I’ll tell you this much, I have had these knives for 10 years.  And they are still in great condition.  I get them sharpened once every month or so…sometimes I procrastinate and don’t get to it until 3 months… I just hone it with my steel in between sharpenings and it’s all good   Keep your knives sharp…believe it or not…it’s way easier to cut yourself with a dull knife than a sharp one! 

Twist the knife clockwise or counter-clockwise (your choice) to loosen the pit and pull it off the knife (carefully) and disgard.

Next slice the avocado halves first vertically and then horizontally, making a sort of cross hatch design.  Careful not to go all the way through the avocado. If you want slices instead of cubes, you can scoop the avocado out with a spoon and then slice it on a cutting board to your desired sizes.

Now with a large tablespoon, take out the avocado cubes.

And that’s it! Perfect avocado cubes every time!

By: Mila Furman