The Neatest Avocado Slices You Will Ever Make

You've been told time and time again to cut an avocado in half, slice or dice the flesh in the bowl of the skin, and then use a spoon to scoop your pieces out, like in the video below (interesting tidbit at the very end, if you can stick with it):

But the cut-and-scoop often leaves you (or at least me) with wonky, dented slices and a lot of avocado flesh left clinging to the dark-green skin, beyond the spoon's reach. Plus, it's never a great idea to cut in the palm of your (or at least my!) hand rather than on a flat surface.

For slices (and later, cubes) neat enough to meet the president, it's better to slice, then peel. Cut your avocado in half as you normally would, then place it flat side (that is, flesh side) down on a cutting board and slice thinly.

Peel the skin away from each individual avocado arc, one at a time: You'll leave no flesh behind and each piece's shape will mirror that of the whole fruit.

Beautiful enough to make you cheer! And resourceful, too: You've dirtied one less utensil (the spoon) and reduced your risk of cutting off a finger.

Of course, it's a bit fussy to peel the skin off individual slices if you're making guacamole or avocado toast—but for photo-worthy avocado roses (or, more realistically, spic-and-span slices to top your tacos), slicing then peeling is the path to perfection.

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What's your biggest avocadon't? (Mine is hot avocado.) Tell us in the comments below!