Watch: Avocados Are Sending an Increasing Number of People to the ER - Here's How to Avoid Injury
Apparently, avocado-related injuries are becoming a 'global phenomenon' as the dietary craze [...]
Apparently, avocado-related injuries are becoming a "global phenomenon" as the dietary craze becomes more popular.
Simon Eccles, the secretary of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, tells the U.K.'s The Times that he sees about four patients a week with an injury related to cutting an avocado.
In fact, the number of injuries resulting from mishandled avocado prep is so overwhelming that Eccles suggests putting a warning on the fruit.
"Perhaps we could have a cartoon picture of an avocado with a knife, and a big red cross going through it?" he said.
According to PEOPLE, the injuries have been dubbed "avocado hand" by several British surgeons and doctors see surges of people with the injury around times like Cinco de Mayo when guacamole becomes more popular.
Though of course kitchen-related injuries aren't sorted by ingredient, avocado injuries can range from a simple slash to losing function of the hand.
Luckily, there's a brilliant video out there from Real Simple that shows the proper way to prep an avocado without sending yourself to the hospital.
In the video, they recommend cutting straight down until you bump into the pit with the knife and then rotating the avocado along the blade of the knife until the cut line meets back up with itself. They also recommend dislodging the pit by first setting the fruit on the cutting board, then using the base of the knife to give a good whack to the pit, then gently twisting until it comes loose.
See the rest of the tips in the video above.
[H/T Twitter / @nparts]
Related:
Avocado Prices Are on the Rise
Avocado Chocolate Is Officially a Thing and We Are So Excited
Eating Avocado Every Day Is Good for You, Research Finds