Cut Your Avocado With One Kitchen Tool And It'll Brown In A Flash

Avocados are praised for both their healthy fats and nutrients, as well as their versatility in dishes — making some of us a little obsessed with them. Whether you're , a green smoothie, or some , this green fruit adds the perfect layer of creaminess and richness. But even if , once you've cut it open, the unused half inevitably turns brown quicker than you can say "guacamole.

" While this is completely normal, steer clear of metal knives if you want to slow the process down. Cutting your avocado with a metal knife actually makes it brown faster since these knives usually contain copper or iron, which triggers the avocado's oxidation process. When it comes to your avocados, it's much better to use a plastic or ceramic knife since these will give you a few hours before your avocado starts to brown.



Of course, if you're someone who's not bothered by the brown spots, it might not be worth the knife swap — but, let's be real, a lot of us find them unappealing. Other ways to slow down avocado browning A cut avocado will inevitably turn brown after a while, but you can definitely keep it looking fresh for longer with a few tricks. Squeezing some lemon or lime juice onto the surface of your open avocado is an easy way to delay browning.

The acid in the citrus juice lowers the pH of the avocado, which in turn slows down the oxidation process. You can also wrap your open half tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it in an air-tight container to keep oxygen out. When picking which half of the avocado to eat first, always choose the one without the seed.

The seed will help to protect part of the avocado from oxygen exposure, prolonging its freshness. Another great hack is storing your cut avocado with a sliced onion, since the onion releases sulfur — an acid that prevents the browning process. Just keep in mind, your avocado might take on a subtle onion flavor.

So, while avocados might have a short shelf life, there are definitely a few ways to keep them fresh for your next smoothie, avo toast, or rich salad. Recommended.