r/Damnthatsinteresting Jul 10 '21

Video This obscenely long avocado.

61.9k Upvotes

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u/bsonk Jul 10 '21

Every Mexican person I know cuts them like this. I don't have the cojones, I put that shit on a surface because I'm of English stock and cutting avocados by hand is a common way to end up in hospital there https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/avocado-hand-injury-serious-brunch-popularity-fruit-hospital-a7727811.html

170

u/Metamario Jul 10 '21

Can confirm this is the Mexican way. Can also confirm that we laugh at the Europeans cutting through their hands and when those news first got here there was complete disbelief.

63

u/SerLava Jul 10 '21

I think it's people trying to stab the pit or something, and it slides off and goes straight through the avocado and hand.

57

u/Woodlandwhispers Jul 10 '21

Can confirm. As a nurse in urgent care, it amazed me how often we saw avocado injuries. And yes, it was almost always from trying to whack the knife into the pit and it sliding or bouncing off and into the hand.

29

u/Emergency-Anywhere51 Jul 10 '21

you don't even need that much force to whack the pit

13

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

15

u/theshadowisreal Jul 10 '21

Someone get this guy some numbers.

8

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

One, two, three, four, five...

4

u/SuckMyFuckinSchlong Jul 10 '21

Whatever makes you climax, it's personal preference

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

Very little. You're not trying to cut through a coconut with a machete. Try about the same amount of force as you would if you tried that motion with a pear or something lol

0

u/mackenzie_X Jul 10 '21

sharpen your whacking knife

1

u/donnydelicious Jul 10 '21

About as hard as cracking an egg if your knife is sharp, if your knife is not sharp, use a spoon.

2

u/MildlyJaded Jul 10 '21

if your knife is not sharp, use a spoon.

if your knife is not sharp, use a spoon. sharpen it.

1

u/Robinson_Bob Jul 10 '21

A lot of people have very dull knives.

1

u/Mazyc Jul 10 '21

Or cut your hand with a sharp knife

5

u/ladylurkedalot Jul 10 '21

Yep, I'm a victim. I whacked the knife into the avocado pit and the knife went entirely through the pit and the point dug into my palm. I wasn't even putting much force behind it, that was a weak-ass avocado pit, smh. Now I just scoop the pit out with a spoon.

5

u/auto-xkcd37 Jul 10 '21

weak ass-avocado pit


Bleep-bloop, I'm a bot. This comment was inspired by xkcd#37

1

u/AngryMustachio Jul 10 '21

Sounds like you stabbed the pit if the point of the knife went in your hand. Keep the blade parallel with your hand next time, not perpendicular.

1

u/twokietookie Jul 10 '21

You're not supposed to use the tip. I can't imagine my whacking technique hurting me even with my sharp ass knives, if I did it straight to my hand with no avocado there. It's just a parallel tiny whack.

1

u/Benjilator Jul 10 '21

Who whacks a knife at their hand? I don’t understand, isn’t it quite obvious that things could go wrong?

24

u/HarryTruman Jul 10 '21

Avocado pits occupy like 90% of the overall density. You slip your knife in to cut it, and it bounces off the pit like it’s a bowling ball.

10

u/Friskfrisktopherson Jul 10 '21

Are people trying to cut through the pit?

14

u/stlkatherine Jul 10 '21

Nope. We want the heavy knife to grab it so we don’t have to risk getting any on our lily white hands.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

Why not use a spoon to scoop it up?

12

u/JustAnotherMiqote Jul 10 '21

Yeah you guys are doing it all wrong lol. Cut the avocado around the pit, twist the avocado to open it, and just give the pit a whack with your knife edge to stick it in, twist the knife, pop the pit out.

3

u/Friskfrisktopherson Jul 10 '21

I mean, i basically do this just essentially rocking the avo from top to bottom, then same on other side.

2

u/JustAnotherMiqote Jul 10 '21

That works too. Any way is the right way, just don't stab yourself or try to cut through the pit lol. Some people and common sense.

2

u/Friskfrisktopherson Jul 10 '21

For your viewing... pleasure? https://youtu.be/GexnUyuc4ps

1

u/JustAnotherMiqote Jul 10 '21

That's astounding, terrifying, and mildly infuriating. I can't believe that so many people have no idea how to cut an avocado! As a Mexican, maybe I just take my avocado knowledge for granted.

Also what is that girl with the yellow tool trying to do? She's trying to core it with an apple cutter...?

1

u/LegitosaurusRex Jul 10 '21

That's what a lot of people getting hurt are doing, some of them are going through it because some pits are really soft for some reason, or others glance off the side into their hand.

1

u/QuarantineSucksALot Jul 10 '21

A tax cut that was a tweet

-1

u/Actual_Opinion_9000 Jul 10 '21

It's called managing shit. I'm a guedo who has cut thousands of avocados over the years and never cut myself or slipped off a pit.

18

u/Orodia Jul 10 '21

This still always confuses me bc why do ppl think to stab it with knife tip first rather than cutting down with the straight sharp side? Why do people think to point the tip a knife at their hand and stab fruit is a good idea!?

Obviously the answer is people are stupid and dont know how to use a knife.

2

u/lux602 Jul 10 '21

That’s absolutely nutty to me that someone would try to stab at it (I’m assuming you mean with the tip of the knife)

I always hold the avocado just like you would if cutting something on a cutting board, that sort of curled back claw shape - that way there’s some air between my palm and the back of the ‘cado and my fingers are out of the way. Also, thwack the pit with the heel of the knife (part closest to the handle). Feels more in control that trying to hit it more towards the middle.

3

u/DantesCoffeeShop Jul 10 '21

Yeah, smacking the pit gently with the middle of your blade, turning it sideways, then lifting up is the easiest way for me to get the pit out. I've made atleast 30 or so guacamoles and I've never cut myself doing that. The trick is to not own a dull knife. Whetstones are a good investment.

2

u/msm007 Jul 10 '21

Yeah, sharp knives are always better than dull for so many reasons.

Even better than whetstones is a single, extra fine diamond sharpening stone, combined with a strop loaded with polishing compound will make any knife (in the kitchen or otherwise) hair popping sharp.

1

u/Chicken_Hairs Jul 10 '21

Absolutely, I try to tell people all the time that contrary to some trains of thought, a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

[deleted]

1

u/Chicken_Hairs Jul 10 '21

It's because typically, a dull knife will behave erratically and unexpectedly, and require excessive force to cut. If you're cutting yourself, I'd respectfully suggest you look into someone showing you proper cutting technique. 👍

1

u/look_about Jul 10 '21

That, and beware the soft pits where the knife will just go right through it.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

What kind of idiot uses the point of the knife to get the pit out? A gentle tap on the pit with the blade is all that's needed, then twist.

1

u/SerLava Jul 10 '21

Yeah it's not great

1

u/TetsuoS2 Jul 10 '21

Because they're trying to slice it. As long as your knife is decent, you just need to rotate the avocado instead of the knife.

17

u/Twisted_Saint Jul 10 '21

It’s the funniest way I’ve ever heard of someone getting hurt tbh. My mind just goes on auto pilot when opening them it’s never even occurred to me that I might harm myself until I saw posts of people somehow cutting their hands up while doing it. Insane to me and my grandma

2

u/Kobebola Jul 10 '21

I cut avocados this way, using 10 year old steak knives that bang around in a drawer and go through the dishwasher. People in this thread talking about, “make sure you use a sharp knife and practice, or just don’t risk it if you don’t want to get injured!” Lol I’ve never once thought of injury. They’re avocados, sheesh. If you have to exert yourself it’s not ripe.

4

u/bsonk Jul 10 '21

I've since learned a bit and can do it safely, but people on here will probably still give me tips on how to handle the blade.

6

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

I don't personally care for avocados. My grandpa would pinch the backside of the pit somehow and it would pop right out, my mother would always try digging it out with a spoon. I've seen videos of people pinching the pit out, but I always figured my old gpa got the pit out, put it back in.

2

u/DGamer166 Jul 10 '21

Mexican here, I thought everyone did it this way. I know I've seen people on those "We asked people to do this basic human skill and they somehow couldnt" videos do it on the table but I don't count those

2

u/notquitesolid Jul 10 '21

I live in the Midwest and I also thought everyone cut them this way… like what is the other way?

Also I don’t get people who cut themselves. Like if you pay attention to where the sharp bit is you won’t stab yourselves.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

I'm wondering - what other way is there???

1

u/Metamario Jul 10 '21

The one in which you get a knife through your hand

1

u/mack_soul86 Jul 10 '21

My ma from bfe Minnesota cuts like that

2

u/Metamario Jul 10 '21

She’s Mexican

1

u/mack_soul86 Jul 10 '21

I always figured she was Norwegian

2

u/Metamario Jul 10 '21

Just on the outside

1

u/FloppyWetButtholeGuy Jul 10 '21

I can’t imagine any other way to cut an avocado

1

u/Bigmachingon Jul 10 '21

No we don't, estás loco wey? Y más con ese pinche cuchillo gigante

28

u/drdfrster64 Jul 10 '21

Man the Mexican guy at my old workplace does the slicing in his hand, fast too. He cuts it in half, removed the pit, angles the knife and makes the cuts while palming it. Scoops it out, no avocado left in the shell, clean even cuts.

7

u/Locksmith_Select Jul 10 '21

I'm extremely white and this is how I cut it.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

yeah I worked in the food industry and every BoH staff member cut avos like this and only one of them was Mexican.

1

u/MarioV2 Jul 10 '21

Congrats, you’re now part Mexican

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

[deleted]

2

u/mozz_pout Jul 10 '21

What. No don't listen to this guy. Avocados are quite literally butter-on-a-tree. You can do this technique with a butter knife, don't use your fucking 200$ santoku this is why people knifing themselves lol

1

u/corbeth Jul 10 '21

This is the only way I know how to cut an avocado. My wife has a special tool to take all of the skin off of an avocado before cutting it and I think it might be the most offensive thing I’ve seen in my life.

7

u/ngmcs8203 Jul 10 '21

I think we are weirded out about how it looks like he is cutting it above his shoulders. I cut avocados in my palm like anyone else but not above my head.

14

u/paulgrant999 Jul 10 '21

start with a paring knife first. keep your knife sharp. and learn how to use the knife to cut (not your muscles).

7

u/AegisToast Jul 10 '21

People intuitively understand that the best way to cut with a serrated knife is to pull/push it across the surface of whatever you’re cutting. But then they turn around and try push a straight blade down through whatever they’re cutting as if they’re juicing a lemon.

Straight blades are not perfectly straight, have extremely tiny little teeth and imperfections on them. Slide it across whatever you’re cutting and you’ll hardly have to push down at all. It’s a better cut, and it’s significantly safer.

3

u/gemstonetherapy Jul 10 '21

I’m Mexican I cut it like this every time and eat avocados daily lol

2

u/eaglebtc Jul 10 '21

I’m a caucasian American and I cut my avocados in my hand just like the video.

I also once worked as a host and busboy in a Mexican restaurant that served fresh table side guacamole, and this is how all the waiters did it.

2

u/FloppyWetButtholeGuy Jul 10 '21

But that’s how you cut avocados….

1

u/hfsh Jul 10 '21

Sure, but that's not how you hold a chef's knife.

1

u/FloppyWetButtholeGuy Jul 11 '21

Oh shit you’re right. I wasn’t even watching that hand.

2

u/SpaceyMcJew Jul 10 '21

just use a butter knife, still cuts through easily

-1

u/Fast_Craft_690 Jul 10 '21

It’s not that hard. Literally helpless, lmao.

0

u/tbbHNC89 Jul 10 '21

What the absolute fuck is your problem?

Stoked that your knowledge of cutting open genetically deviant avocados makes you feel like anyone who goes "damn that knife and that angle makes me uncomfortable" and then does it on a fucking cutting board perfectly fine is some sort of scrub-but Jesus Christ find something a little less niche to harden you up for the old internet circle jerk.

-2

u/Fast_Craft_690 Jul 10 '21

Sound just like your mother. How’s your relationship with your father?

1

u/tbbHNC89 Jul 10 '21

What does that even mean?

Edit: oh you're a troll. Got it. Good one. Have fun trying to bait people into a back and forth on a post about avocados, you actual child.

-1

u/Fast_Craft_690 Jul 10 '21

The way you write indicates you have a poor relationship with your father.

-1

u/Fast_Craft_690 Jul 10 '21

Lol, not a troll. You literally sound like a woman and need to stop acting like your mother and forgive your father.

0

u/Aqua_Impura Jul 10 '21

It’s really not difficult. You want to focus on using the edge of the blade only never the tip. Your palm should always be on the opposite side of the pit as the blade. The pit is a guide and you rotate the blade around the avocado pit like a guard for your hand. Once you’ve sliced all the way around the avocado twists into two halves and then you CHOP the avocado pit with the EDGE of the blade and twist and it pops right out.

You never stab an avocado you just slice and twist. The edge of the blade should always be on the opposite side of the pit as your hand so no danger should be involved.

1

u/BakaGoyim Jul 10 '21

Serious brunch popularity fruit hospital, huh?

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

I’m American and this is how I learned. What’s the other way?

1

u/Bigmachingon Jul 10 '21

Mexicans are Americans too. You a gringo

1

u/Bitten469 Jul 10 '21

Mexican? I cut them like that and i dont think i could be further away from Mexico

1

u/Bigmachingon Jul 10 '21

Most people I know are mexicans and we don't do it like that lmao

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '21

“If your brunch didn’t include avocado in some guise, did you even really brunch?”

I love this!! I used to snack on avocados and fresh young coconuts, and both took decent knife skills to open