Avocados are known for having those large pits that you need to cut around. While the pits are great for kitchen-window science experiments, the awkward shape of the fruit leads many to cut incorrectly, often leading to injury (a.k.a. "avocado hand"). Plus, the pit can be annoying -- who needs it? Plant breeders have come to the rescue, though, with a pitless version that will have you cutting the fruit easily while preserving the safety of your hands.
What These Really Are
There are three pitless versions of avocados. One is a naturally occurring but very rare version, where the pit is either very tiny or generally nonexistent. You can't really spot these when shopping; you get them through the luck of the draw.
The second version is an odd but ingenious one. Small baby fruit are cut open and the pit removed, and then the skin of the fruit is sewn back together with tree bark twine made from the avocado tree. As the fruit grows, the flesh and skin knit back together, creating a whole fruit that doesn't have a pit. These are boutique fruits, of course, but they are available from a mail-order company.
The third version is similar to the first but purposefully grown. If you don't pollinate the blossom, fruit can still form, but it is more likely to not have a seed. Some growers have started producing orchards where avocado blossoms are purposefully not pollinated so that more of the fruit appears without a pit. These fruits can be longer than a traditional avocado, but they taste the same.
How to Use Them
Use pitless avocados the same way you would use traditional fruit, but be careful to weigh the flesh before using it in recipes that call for a specific number of fruits, rather than a volume or weight of flesh. You can get a good 30 percent or more of extra avocado flesh from a pitless fruit, which can throw off recipes if you're not careful. If you like avocado fruit, you will love these pitless versions.
Contact Form
Sosial Buttons