Stop Making This Avocado Cutting Mistake!

It might be more difficult than it seems to cut an avocado in half. The disadvantages of using a metal knife are discussed by an expert.

According to Autumn Swiers, a skilled barista and writer for TastingTable, the material of a chosen utensil is just as crucial as its size when it comes to doing the job correctly. She explains that just as a large butcher's knife is indeed not ideal for carving out the creamy avocado flesh.

Unbelievably, Swiers continued, using a metal knife to cut avocados may be one of the most frequent errors made by home cooks, oftentimes without them even being aware of it.

Brown Avocadoes and Metal Knives

According to Allrecipes, using a metal knife to cut avocado will hasten browning, which is especially undesirable if the recipe only calls for using half of the avocado. Most likely, the other half will be put aside for later.

Browning of the avocados may not be as much of an issue if the recipe calls for a whole avocado.

Material Matters

According to Allrecipes, since stainless steel knives are made of both copper and iron, they trigger the enzymes present in avocados that make the fruit's flesh turn brown when exposed to oxygen. Using a metal knife to cut into an avocado accelerates the browning process, which also increases the risk of the sliced avocado going bad too soon. This process, which Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., a biochemist, calls "oxidation," takes place when an atom or molecule is exposed to a high concentration of oxygen and starts to lose electrons.

Nick Stellino, a celebrity chef, advises cutting avocados with a ceramic or plastic knife instead to avoid this reaction from turning them into a spotty brown waste. Stellino is the host of the famous show "Storyteller in the Kitchen."

Stuck with a Metal Knife

For those with limited knife options, other things can be done to keep avocados from changing color. The avocado should be placed on top of the onion slices in the bottom part of a sealed container before the air-tight container is tightly closed, suggests Kitchn. Although Kitchn doesn't explain why onions prevent avocados from turning completely brown, the website suggests that the special sulfur compounds they contain, which The New York Times reports are also present in garlic, may be responsible. The avocado may retain its green color for a little while longer with this method of storage, according to Food52, even though some browning may occur.

Brushing avocados with lemon juice or olive oil on their exposed sides is another way to prevent them from turning brown. If you don't like the smell of raw onions, this is a great substitute, TastingTable reports.

Alligator Pears

Avocados, also known as "alligator pears," are distinguished by their bumpy skin and creamy smooth flesh. They are a well-liked food in many different cultures. The creamy fruits are versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes, or they can just be consumed plain with a spoon. Guacamole may be the dish that they are best known for. Avocados, which are grown from the Persea americana tree, are classified in botany as fruits comprising of a large berry with a single center pit, though they are not particularly sweet. Mexico is the world's top producer, and it is thought that they first appeared in Mexico or Central America.