Publication in the group: Processing and preparation of products
The healthy avocado is a tropical fruit that has a creamy soft part and a huge pit located in the middle of the fruit. The edible part of the fruit is not very juicy and not as sweet as other berries. It is possible to free the soft part from the skin at home using different methods, depending on what dish the product will be used for.
Preparing for cleaning
Peeling an avocado at home is not difficult. Basically, the edible part of the product is eaten fresh, since the soft part contains a huge amount of nutrients. The pit and skin are inedible parts of the fruit because they contain toxins. They must be removed before eating the product.
Before peeling and slicing, the tropical fruit must first be prepared. To do this, you should initially wash your hands with the product. The fruit should be washed in slightly warm or cold water, without using liquid detergents that may get into the pulp. Afterwards the product must be wiped with a paper napkin. Avocado skin is a little rough, so for washing it is best to use a sponge, which will help completely get rid of dirt.
To free the fruit from the skin and seeds you will need to prepare:
- cutting board;
- kitchen knife;
- tablespoon or teaspoon.
Washing the fruit is a mandatory step that should not be neglected. The surface of the skin contains bacteria that can cause digestive upset or contribute to the development of gastrointestinal diseases.
Avocado: a brief description of an exotic fruit
What is an avocado? This is a green fruit with a specific unsweetened taste. It has a pin-shaped shape, a fairly strong peel, and in the center of the fruit there is a large spherical (in some varieties - in the form of an elongated ball) bone with a diameter of approximately 4–5 cm.
The scientific name of avocado is Persea americana.
Avocado pulp can have a consistency similar to cold butter or very soft cheese. It is very smooth, soft, but holds its shape well. The pulp is not as juicy as most fruits. Avocado tastes like nuts.
Removing the pit
Once the tropical fruit has been cleared of its bitter peel, the edible part of the fruit will need to be removed from the pit.
To facilitate the process, it is recommended to follow the step-by-step steps:
- First, place the avocado on a cutting board so that its narrow side faces up. You need to place a kitchen knife in the center and apply a little pressure so that the blade can reach the bone.
- Then you need to slowly turn the fruit over to make the cuts larger.
- Next, using a kitchen knife, you need to divide the fruit into 2 halves. Each piece must be the same size.
- Using a teaspoon or tablespoon, you should pry up the bone and remove it.
- At the end of the procedure, it is recommended to sprinkle the edible part of the avocado with lemon juice, apple or wine vinegar.
- If the tropical fruit is not completely ripe, then you need to make several turns with the spoon, trying not to touch too much pulp.
There is another method for extracting the bone. To do this, you will need to insert a sharp knife blade into the bone. Then it must be sharply and forcefully removed from the pulp.
Peeling whole fruit halves
Sometimes you need to keep the halves whole for cooking. In this case, it should be cleaned using a special method. In this case, you need to use a spoon. Its tip is inserted between the pulp and the peel so that the cutlery is as close as possible to the outer shell. Then you need to carry it along the entire contour, while the pulp will be separated from the skin.
You should carefully move the spoon closer to the center to separate the pulp from the skin over the entire area. Then the half is removed from the peel. The procedure should be repeated with the second part.
This method is only suitable for ripe fruits. An unripe, hard avocado cannot be peeled using this method, since its pulp is difficult to separate from the skin. If you peeled a ripe fruit, you need to inspect the resulting halves for any remaining peel. If there are small pieces of it left somewhere, you need to remove them using a knife.
How to peel a fruit
There are three different ways to peel an avocado at home, which involve the use of cutlery and a knife. You can also remove the edible part from the skin using your hands. To facilitate the cleaning process, it is necessary to choose the right tropical fruit. The fruit must have a hard skin and a rich green hue. If there are cracks on the surface of the skin, it is better not to take the avocado. If the product is too soft, it means the fruit is overripe and has begun to deteriorate.
When pressing on the surface of the peel, the dent should form within 20 seconds. return to the starting position. Peeling the fruit is a necessary step because it contains persin, which is a toxic substance that causes nausea with vomiting and stomach upset.
Spoon
Avocados must be peeled before making side dishes and eating them. The procedure can be performed using a regular tablespoon.
Detailed instructions on how to remove the skin from the fruit:
- Initially, you should wash the product under a stream of water, and then wipe it with a paper napkin.
- Then the tropical fruit needs to be cut into 2 halves by running a knife around the pit along the side line. It is best to place the avocado horizontally on the cutting board.
- When the cut is made, the fruit should be picked up in such a way that there is one half in each hand.
- Next, the workpieces need to be turned in different directions, dividing the product into 2 parts and removing the pit.
- Using a spoon, you can remove the pit and tear the skin off the soft part. Press between the edible part and the skin with a spoon, pushing the cutlery deep, and then slowly circle its half.
How to peel an avocado using a spoon.
At the end, you will need to pry the pulp in the middle and remove it from the skin.
With a knife
You can remove the skin from the avocado with a vegetable peeler or a regular kitchen knife.
To do this, it is recommended to follow the following step-by-step steps:
- Initially, the tropical fruit needs to be rinsed under running water.
- Next, dry it with a clean cloth or paper towel.
- Then the tropical fruit needs to be placed on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut the fruit in half lengthwise to the pit.
- After this, you will need to separate the 2 pieces with both hands, turning them in different directions, and then remove the seed.
At the end, each half will need to be peeled with a knife and the fruit cut into pieces of the desired size.
Hands
Avocados can be peeled without the help of special tools. It is permissible to remove the peel by hand.
To remove the skin from the fruit at home, you will need to follow the step-by-step steps:
- First you need to make several cuts on the avocado, using any sharp object, such as a toothpick.
- Then you need to grab the edge of the skin with your fingers and carefully pull it down.
In this case, it is undesirable to rush, since you can damage the pulp of the tropical fruit.
Should avocados be peeled before eating?
Before we start peeling an avocado, we suggest you familiarize yourself with how to choose a truly tasty fruit.
- It is better not to use an overripe fruit (indentations from a finger after pressing on the fruit) for food, since the taste of such a fruit is unsatisfactory.
- You need to buy an exotic fruit with a hard peel. If the peel has cracks or damage, it is better to leave the fruit on the store shelf.
- Do not load your basket with exotic fruits that are too soft. If the avocado is soft, it means it is overripe and most likely spoiled.
- To check the stage of ripeness of an avocado, you can do a small test: press the flesh with your finger and if within 20 seconds the resulting dent disappears, then the avocado is ripe and can be eaten. The bright green hue of the exotic fruit also indicates its ripeness.
- Ripe avocados have an amazing smell and taste. An unripe fruit is unsuitable for food. Some people eat avocados with the peel on, but for others it’s not tasty.
Avocado pulp can be separated from the skin using a spoon.
Whether or not to peel an avocado is up to you. The peel of the fruit will not affect its taste. However, if you decide to make rolls or salad, then the avocado needs to be peeled.
Avocado peeling for different purposes
The soft part of the tropical fruit can be used for various purposes. Therefore, there are several options for how to peel the fruit for cutting into slices, cubes or whole.
Peeling whole avocado halves
Step-by-step instructions on how to free halves of a tropical fruit from the skin in its entirety:
- The end of the cutlery should be inserted into the soft part of the fruit, trying to place the cutlery closer to the skin.
- Then you will need to slowly walk along the edge of the product with the cutlery, trying not to deform the edible part of the tropical fruit.
- Afterwards, you need to place a spoon under the soft part to completely remove it from the skin.
Upon completion of the procedure, you should check the pulp. If there are skin particles on it, they will need to be removed.
Peeling the peel for slicing
A detailed description of the process, how to remove the skin from the fruit for subsequent cutting of the fruit into slices:
- Using a sharp knife you will need to cut each half of the fruit lengthwise or crosswise.
- Then you will need to grab the edge of the skin at one end and pull, tearing it away from the soft part of the product.
- A similar procedure must be done with the remaining parts of the fruit.
At the end, the edible part of the fruit needs to be cut into portioned pieces of the required thickness and size.
Cleaning for dicing
You can peel the bitter skin from an avocado at home for cutting into cubes as follows.
To do this, you will need to follow the step-by-step instructions:
- One part of the fruit should be placed in the hand. The soft part should be on top.
- Then, using a sharp knife, with your second hand you need to make cuts in the form of cubes on the surface of the avocado, without touching the skin.
- At this stage, using a tablespoon, you need to remove the prepared pulp onto a plate.
In the end, it can be used for its intended purpose.
Slicing avocado
This form of cutting looks beautiful on sandwiches and is necessary for rolls.
To remove the skin, use one of three techniques:
- Pick up the peel from the upper narrow edge of the fruit with your finger and pull it down slightly. Does she move freely? Then continue to slowly pull the tip until it falls off completely.
- If the peel is particularly stubborn, try wedging a spoon between it and the pulp and gradually separate the unnecessary part with cutlery.
- A hard, slightly unripe avocado may be too much for even a spoon to handle. In this case, they usually resort to using a sharp knife and peel the fruit like potatoes.
Then they start cutting the halves into slices of any thickness.
When slices are needed not in the shape of a semicircle, but in the form of small triangles, the halves are cut into two more equal parts. That is, you get avocado quarters, which are then cut.
Before adding to the dish, be sure to lightly drizzle the pieces with lemon juice.
How to cut an avocado
If avocado needs to be added to a salad, the peeled fruit will need to be cut into cubes. To create rolls and sushi, it is best to chop the product into strips. For sandwiches, it will be enough to grind the pulp with a blender or fork. For a side dish, it is best to chop the avocado into slices. If you plan to use the fruit for cooking soups, then the pulp must be ground in a blender to a puree.
In half
To cut a tropical fruit in half, you must strictly follow the step-by-step instructions:
- The fruit must be cut into 2 halves, bypassing the pit.
- Then each workpiece should be turned in different directions and torn apart from each other.
The remaining bone in one of the halves must be removed from the soft part using a tablespoon or carefully prying it with a knife.
For sandwiches
The tropical fruit has a fairly tender and buttery soft part that can be used to create sandwiches. Avocado can be cut into slices or turned into a paste and used as a pate.
There are specific instructions for each cutting method:
Type of cutting | Peeling and slicing method |
Slices | To cut the product, you will need to thoroughly wash the fruit, then remove the skin and seeds. Finally, one half of the avocado will need to be cut into slices approximately 0.5 cm wide. For this cutting, the tropical fruit must be ripe. |
For the pate | The product must first be washed and peeled. Then you will need to divide the avocado in half and, using a knife, cut the soft part into squares without touching the skin. Next, the pulp should be scooped out with a spoon and chopped with a fork or blender. |
To spread the fruit pulp on bread, you will first need to sprinkle the juice of the citrus fruit and sprinkle with table salt.
To the salad
Step-by-step instructions on how to cut a tropical fruit to add to a salad:
- The product must be rinsed under running water and then dried with a paper towel.
- Afterwards, the fruit should be divided into 2 parts, making a cut along the seed.
- One of the blanks must be turned over with the flesh facing up and, using a knife, make mesh cuts without touching the peel.
- Then you will need to remove each segment of the pulp with a teaspoon, and then cut them into several more pieces.
The resulting cutting should be used as a component for sauce or salad.
For rolls, sushi
A detailed description of the process of cutting avocado for rolls and sushi:
- The fruit should be thoroughly washed under a stream of cold water, and then divided into 2 equal parts. There will be a bone in one of them, which will later need to be removed with a spoon.
- Then each half must be divided into 2 equal parts, resulting in quarters.
- Next, each part must be divided into 2 more pieces and begin removing the peel.
- You need to peel the surface of each part with a knife, pulling the skin from one edge to the other.
At the end, the fruit should be cut into portions and used for its intended purpose. A ripe avocado fruit has a soft structure, so it can be peeled and cut at home in different ways to create various delicacies. To facilitate the process, it is recommended to use special tools that will help free the product from the skin and seeds.
How to choose the right cutting method
Cut the avocado, moisten it with lemon juice and store it in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.
How to determine the best option for cutting an avocado?
The first thing to consider is the degree of ripeness of the fruit. How to choose a delicious avocado in a store, read the article -
I suggest you do a simple maturity test:
- Lightly press the peel with your index finger.
- A small notch formed, which quickly smoothed out - the fruit was in optimal condition. It is suitable for preparing any culinary masterpieces.
- The skin is difficult to press - you have an unripe specimen. Place the purchase in a paper bag and keep it in the kitchen cabinet for 1-2 days until softened. To speed up the process, add an apple or banana to the bag.
- The avocado shell is spreading under your finger - most likely, it has already begun or is about to begin to deteriorate. Make a puree soup, spread for sandwiches, or a vitamin smoothie from it.
Features of cleaning unripe fruit
Not everyone knows how to properly peel an avocado if it is not yet fully ripe. Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler for this. Carefully lift the skin at the base of the fruit and remove it using a tool. Many kitchen supply stores sell an avocado cutter. It is very convenient to use, as it includes three elements: a blade for removing the peel, a grid for beautiful slicing of the pulp and a tool for removing the stone. With it you can carefully cut the fruit into pieces of various shapes and sizes.
Now you know everything about how to peel an avocado, as well as the rules for selecting and storing the fruit. If you haven’t tried this healthy fruit yet, then fix it quickly!
What varieties are there?
You are planning to buy an avocado, you already know how to choose a ripe fruit by color, but an unexpected surprise may await you here, because the varieties, like the colors, can be different. The varieties Fuerte, Charvil, Ettinger and Reed remain green even when they reach optimal maturity. Haas avocados, on the other hand, turn dark purple and even black when ripe. The Gwen variety is very similar to it, but its skin color is closer to green, although rather dark. The ripened Bacon variety also has a dark green peel. That is why, when purchasing, be sure to specify what type of fruit is in front of you.