With that ultra tough skin you’d be forgiven for thinking that avocados don’t need to be scrubbed before eating, but it turns out that cutting open an avocado without washing it could put you at risk of some nasty bacteria and even food poisoning. The avocado skin is thick enough to mean that harmful chemicals don’t tend to enter into the fruit itself, however, the texture of the skin, with its ridges and bumps, can harbour all sorts of pesticides and bacteria.
Cutting through this thick layer of skin without washing it means that your knife is the first thing to pick up all of this potential gross stuff. It then goes on to slice through the avocado, and perhaps even the rest of your brunch!
The Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recommends thoroughly washing avocados before eating them. To avoid a sprinkling of listeria on your brunch, just use warm water to gently scrub the surface of the avocado before cutting.
