Pro Tips for Cutting Fruits and Veggies

If we’re being honest, we all have some rather creative ways to cut our tricky fruits and vegetables. It can be a difficult task to safely cut your produce while also following your recipe correctly. Cutting different fruits and veggies in the kitchen can be made easier by choosing the right knife. Who even knew that there were different techniques for each fruit and vegetable? With our tips and the right knife, cutting those pesky fruits and vegetables will surely be a success.

Fruits

Mango:

• Choose a ripe, firm mango.
• Cut along the pit of the mango that runs down the center of the fruit.
• Repeat this step on the opposite side of the mango.
• Take one half of the mango and use a knife to make lengthwise and crosswise cuts on the mango to create grid-like segments.
• Use a small paring knife to cut away the segments from the peel.

Kiwi:

• Use a knife to slice the kiwi in half.
• Insert a spoon between the fruit and peel on the outside of the kiwi.
• Gently maneuver the spoon around the kiwi in a circular motion until you’ve reached the beginning of the peel once again.
• You can now easily remove the fruit from the peel.
• Slice it to your liking.

Pineapple:

• Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut off the ends of the pineapple.
• Remove the skin by slicing into the skin of the pineapple and running the knife parallel to shave it off.
• Slice the pineapple in half lengthwise, then cut these in half again.
• Slice out the core.
• Begin cutting the pieces of pineapple into triangles.

Watermelon:

• Cut the watermelon in half lengthwise.
• Quarter the watermelon by cutting those halves in half again.
• Make lengthwise slices in the watermelon and cut down to the rind.
• Use your knife to separate the melon from the rind.

Vegetables

Corn:

• Shuck the corn and stand it tall on a cutting board, using your hand on top to keep it steady.
• Use a knife to cut down the side of the corn to remove the kernels from the cob.

Bell Peppers:

• Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice off the top of the pepper and remove the stem.
• Use your fingers to remove all of the seeds and membranes inside the pepper.
• Lay the pepper flat and slice it in half.
• Slice thin strips into each half of the pepper, then line up the peppers together before cutting the strips into small pieces.

Tomatoes:

• Slice tomatoes with a serrated or very sharp cutting knife.
• Arrange the tomato slices on top of one another, then cut them into cubes.

Avocados:

• Use a sharp knife to slice into the avocado until you hit the pit.
• Keep the knife steady and continue rotating around the avocado to cut all the way around the pit.
• Twist the two halves apart.
• Remove the pit by carefully placing the knife into the pit and pulling it out.
• Use a spoon to separate the skin from the meat in the avocado.
• Use a knife to cut the avocado to your liking.

What are your tips for cutting tricky fruits and vegetables? Let us know in the comments below!