How to Cut, Chop and Slice Unfriendly Fruit
By Nicole Kiley, MSc, RD
You’ve gone through the trouble of selecting the perfect produce for the week, and now you’re ready to begin your meal prep. Don’t waste another minute wrestling your produce. Especially with a knife! Here are some helpful techniques on how to cut, chop and slice your produce.
The Avocado
What will you need?
• A sharp chef’s knife
• Non-slip cutting board
• A thin metal spoon
• Your undivided attention (nobody needs an emergency room visit)
Instructions
• Remove the pit. Slice the avocado open vertically and remove the pit.
• Slice the inside. Using just the tip of the knife, slice into the avocado flesh, making sure to not pierce the skin. Follow the natural curve of the avocado using the tip of the knife. Repeat until you have cut through the entire avocado. Slices can be as thick or as thin as needed and can go either vertically or horizontally. You can also slice the avocado in both directions, cross-hatched, to make cubes.
• Scoop out the avocado. Gently work a spoon between the flesh and the skin of the avocado. Following the curve of the avocado with the bowl of the spoon, scoop the slices out of the shell.
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Instructions & Images: thekitchn.com
The Pineapple
What will you need?
• A sharp chef’s knife
• Non-slip cutting board
• An open trash can nearby.
Instructions:
• Place the pineapple on its side on a cutting board. With a sharp chef’s knife, slice off the top green crown and about a half inch of the top of the pineapple. Stand the pineapple upright on the cutting board.
• Use a sharp knife to carefully cut away the the skin, from top to bottom, following the contours of the pineapple. Do not cut so deep as to cut away the eyes. The outer edge of the pineapple has the sweetest flesh, so you want to retain that if you can. Cut off the bottom half inch or so of the pineapple.
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• Now that the pineapple is free of its outer later, stand it back up. Cut the pineapple lengthwise into quarters (cutting out the tough core). Once all core is removed, cut each quarter lengthwise again. Then cut crosswise into chunks.
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Instructions & Image Credit: Simply Recipes
The Melon
What will you need?
• A sharp chef’s knife
• Non-slip cutting board
• An open trash can nearby.
Instructions:
• Wash the melon under running water and scrub the outer shell with a veggie brush.
• Slice off the two ends. Hold the cantaloupe steady on its side with one hand. With a sharp chef’s knife in your other hand, trim off a thin sliver of the stem end on each side, revealing circles of orange flesh. Make sure that the two stem ends are pointing to the sides as you do this. The melon should be horizontal.
• Cut the rind away in thin strips. Stand the cantaloupe on one of its cut, flat sides and use a knife to slice off thin strips of the rind, working from top to bottom and around the entire perimeter of the melon.
• Trim off any remaining green patches. Examine your peeled cantaloupe. Take your kitchen knife and slice off any spots of green that were left behind from the rind. When done, the cantaloupe should be smooth, glossy, and completely orange all the way around. At this point, it is not a bad idea to quickly rinse the exposed flesh under cool, running water to rinse of any bacteria that may have gotten onto the flesh as you cut through the rind. You should also rinse your knife before continuing on.
• Slice and Chop. Stand your melon upright and slice vertically through the melon. Lay each half on its side and slice diagonally to cut the melon into quarters. From there chop the melon horizontally.
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Instructions & Image Credit: Wiki How
Nicole is the Head Registered Dietitian at The Dolce Diet. She believes that long-term health is achieved through an individualized approach to nutrition that is not only evidence-based, but also sustainable and enjoyable. Serving both our private clients and professional athletes, Nicole aims to empower individuals with confidence and education, fully equipping them to reach and maintain their health goals.
