I tried this TikTok hack so you wouldn't have to
And a recipe for guacamole
Hello, hello!
A few months ago, I set out to test an intriguing TikTok hack and decided to share my results in this very newsletter. Since then, dozens (if not hundreds) of other kitchen tips and tricks have graced my beloved For You Page, but there’s one that—because it seemed so simple and truly too good to be true—has really stuck with me ever since it popped up on my tiny phone screen: this knife-free avocado pit removal method.
Every time I’ve opened an avocado since I’ve wondered about this trick, but it wasn’t until yesterday when I had a hankering for some simple guacamole (recipe below) and enough time to document the process for the purpose of this newsletter that I finally bit the bullet and decided to give it a try.
If you’d prefer not to watch the clip, here’s a quick description of what this avo hack entails:
As Cho, the “CEO of SushiTok” demonstrates, the first step is to cut the avocado in half as you normally would, twisting it open and leaving one half with a pit and the other half without and the skin still on. Here’s where the hack comes in: you pick up the side of the avo with the pit, place your pointer and middle fingers on either side of the pit on the green flesh of the avocado and your thumb on the back of the avocado. I’m demonstrating the grip above! Then, you apply pressure to the back with your thumb, and the pit pops right out. At least it does for Cho!
As you can see in my little GIF above, I wasn’t so successful. But! I’m not discounting this hack entirely just yet. My avocado was quite ripe, it was my very first time trying this method, and I only tested it once, so I’ll probably give it another go because most things in the kitchen take practice, so maybe that’s the case with this hack. That said, my short review is this: the hack seemed too good to be true and…for now, I think it is. I’m going to mainly stick to carefully (repeat: carefully!) removing my avo pits with my sharp chef’s knife.
Yesterday’s experiment left me with a mostly mashed avocado and I knew the perfect use for it—I made and devoured this extremely simple Guacamole for One…
Here’s how to make Simple Guacamole for One:
Start with one very ripe avocado pitted (however you see fit…) and skin removed, a medium shallot or 1/4 of a red onion minced, juice from half a lime, and ample salt.
In a medium bowl use a fork to fully mash the avocado. Stir in the shallot or onion, the juice from half a lime, and a hefty pinch of salt. Adjust to taste with additional salt. Optional additions: a bit of minced cilantro, chili flakes, garlic, or some small-diced cherry tomatoes. Or keep it simple with just the ingredients listed in the first step!
I can take this entire amount of guac down in a single sitting, but feel free to share with a friend over chips, carrot sticks, or maybe even with a quesadilla if that suits your fancy.
Okay, that’s it from me this week! If you make this guac, let me know what you think! If you’ve tried this hack and it’s worked for you, I’m also curious about that. Or! If you have other TikTok cooking tricks you’d like to see me try, you can always send them my way. You can shoot me a photo here by replying directly to this email or feel free to tag or DM me on Instagram.
With love and a tip of my chef’s hat,
Erica