One of the most common ways to cut yourself in the kitchen
is to have a dull knife. Sometimes people don't realize that
when your knife blade is dull- you actually have to work hard at
the motion of cutting which can easily allow you to have less control
of your knife hence, allowing yourself to possibly get cut.
During some In-home cooking classes-
We encounter some people who use steak knives or paring knives
to cut EVERYTHING. I know that there are many, many people out there
who have no interestin cooking, which is ok but we all do have to eat
and have to make something from time to time.
Whether you enjoy cooking or not- some people just say that they
don't really know how to get started...
One of the best things you can start out with is a cutting board,
I prefer wooden (bamboo at that) but plastic is ok also-- just make sure that
your cutting board doesn't slide all around and have a sharp knife that is
medium sized. It doesn't have to be super large or expensive.
My favorite go-to knife was about $10.00 and that's what I mean by
it doesn't have to be expensive. Another tip: when you are cutting
on your cutting board and if the board is sliding around- you can simply
lay a clean kitchen towel right underneath the cutting board and it will
prevent it from sliding all around your counter. The last thing you
want with your sharp knife is your cutting board to be moving all around!
The 3 ways that you may be ruining your knives is...
1. You toss it right into the utensil drawer unsheathed or protected in
any way and therefore the knife gets tossed around every time someone
opens the utensil drawer causing your blades to get duller faster.
Keep them covered if you want them in your utensil drawer,
put them in a knife block on the counter or get a magnetic knife strip.
2. Do you put your knives in the dishwasher? The detergent in dish washers
are very abrasive and with the banging around during the wash cycle-
it will very quickly take the sharp edge right off your knife!
So- just hand wash them with some soap and water. Pretty easy.
3. After you have done your cutting- you clear what you just chopped
using the blade side of the knife. Do you do this? Take the nice, sharp
side of your knife, blade down to clear your cutting board?
It's a terrible way to treat your blade!
All you have to do is flip the knife over- use the flat spine side
of your knife and that way your knife will stay sharper longer.
Keep it sharp, Let's Cultivate Food
Chester County Cooking Classes and Private Chef Dinners
