Tuesday's Tip ~ How to Prepare Avocadoes

Removing the buttery, rich, green flesh of an avocado may seem daunting if you have never done it before, but this method makes it rather easy.
Stand the avocado upright on a cutting board. Using a large chef’s knife, cut downward through the top until your knife reaches the large pit in the center (do not remove your knife and allow the avocado to fall to its side). While holding the knife in place, spin the avocado around so the knife continues to cut the entire way around the pit. Remove your knife.
With one hand on each side, twist the avocado in half. In one half of the avocado, you will see the large center pit. Lay this half skin-side-down on your cutting board with the pit facing upward. 
Carefully whack your knife into the middle of the pit. The blade should remain in the pit while you twist the knife (this should loosen the pit so that when you pull your knife out, the pit should be attached to the blade of the knife). Carefully remove the pit from the blade and discard.
You can take a large, metal spoon and simply scoop the flesh out of each half. Or, you can “score” the flesh with the tip of your knife by making several vertical cuts and then several horizontal cuts through the flesh of the avocado (this will make a cross-hatch cut, like a tic-tac-toe board). To remove the scored flesh, either scoop out with a spoon or, if the avocado is very ripe, you can simply squeeze the skin, and the flesh will come out.
If you are making a guacamole or looking for a smooth consistency of avocado, you can sprinkle with a coarse ground salt (such as kosher salt), and mash with a fork.
Avocados are extremely prone to browning when exposed to air. To avoid this natural oxidation, add a citric acid such as lime or lemon juice to the cut avocado or guacamole.
When storing, press a layer of plastic wrap directly against the cut avocado or guacamole, and then add an additional piece of plastic wrapped tightly around the storage container or bowl (this is an extra prevention measure taken to preserve the bright green flesh and avoid oxidation).
If you would like to see this demonstrated click here.

As seen in our cookbook Country Comfort: Cooking Across America