So many people are getting hurt while preparing avocados, doctors even a name for the injuries: ‘avocado hand.’ But that’s not the only food sending cooks to the ER on a regular basis. Here are the most dangerous foods home cooks tend to hurt themselves with and how to avoid being one of them.
Avocados - ER docs say they stitch up as many as 30 hands a month because people slice their hands while cutting the skin or trying to get the slippery pit out of an avocado. But it doesn’t have to be so dangerous. David Mawhinney, culinary director of the cooking school Haven’s Kitchen, suggests putting the avocado on a cutting board instead of your hand, cutting it down the middle, then moving it around in a circle until it splits open. And to get the pit out, just cut the pit side into quarters so it “pops out.”
Frozen hamburger meat - Grill masters in a hurry sometimes use a knife to separate frozen patties, which can lead to sliced hands. Dr. Robert Newborn says he stitches up these kinds of cuts about once a week. Mawhinney says the fix is to let the patties defrost in the fridge, if you can. And if not, use a non-sharp tool, like a barbecue spatula to separate them.
Mangoes - A lot of people peel this slippery fruit first, which only makes it more slippery. But Mawhinney says the best way to cut a mango is to leave the skin on, score it into cubes on a cutting board, then turn the skin inside out to peel or cut the cubes off.
Carrots - These can be dangerous because they roll off the cutting board, causing people to chop their hands instead. To avoid one of these veggie injuries, cut a small, flat chunk on the side of the carrot so it won’t roll. That extra step will save your hands, Mawhinney says.
Raw chicken - The slippery surface and texture makes this the most common food that brings people to the ER for an injury. So way to avoid cutting yourself while cutting raw chicken is to pat it dry with a paper towel first and slice in one motion, don’t saw at it. And make sure your knife is sharpened, too.
Source: New York Post