Wonder why your sauteed vegetables don't taste like the ones available at restaurants? Has it anything to do with the cooking process? The answer is no! Instead, it depends on how the ingredients are chopped. Ask any expert or the mothers and grandmothers at home, they would always ask you to slice the vegetables proportionately. Ever wondered, why? It's because the shape and the size of the ingredients help define the final look and taste of food - and that is where a good knife comes into play. How you cut the ingredients depends much on the quality of the knife. If you have a blunt knife in hand, it may slip during the process, leading to an uneven shape.
Then there are risks of cutting your skin while chopping vegetables. If you don't handle a sharp knife properly, you may end up harming yourself. To avoid all these unwanted risks, it is important to follow some safe practices while handling a knife. Here, we will take you through all the important factors that one must keep in mind while using a knife in the kitchen. Let's get started.
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Why You Should Use A Sharp Knife? How To Sharpen Your Kitchen Knife?
A sharp knife helps you cut the vegetables without putting any effort. But in the process, the knife turns blunt after a while. Hence, it is equally important to sharpen your knife regularly. All you need to do is, take a ceramic plate, turn it upside down and run the edge of the knife on the ring at a 45-degree angle. Keep switching the sides of the knife after a few strokes. That's it. You will get a sharp knife in some time.
Why Is It Important To Wash The Knife After Every Use?
After cutting and chopping, the residue of the ingredients often gets stuck to the knife. If not cleaned properly, it may lead to the growth of bacteria that can get transferred to the next ingredient you will chop. So, clean it well with the dishwasher and lime juice and wipe it dry before keeping it back on the utensil rack.
Also Read: Knife Skills 101: Chef Anahita Dhondy Teaches 10 Knife Skills That All Must Know
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5 Tips To Remember While Handling A Kitchen Knife:
1. Use the right kind of knife:
You will find a range of knives for different purposes. You have a butcher knife for cutting meat, a bread knife for loaves, a fillet knife for delicate jobs and more. Having the right kind of knife helps you do the job easily. But we understand, it is not always possible to have every type of knife at home. In that case, have a good quality, heavy all-purpose chef's knife and chop your ingredients like a professional.
2. Curl your finger:
It is important to keep your fingers safe while chopping vegetables. The trick is to curl the finger with which you are gripping the ingredient to avoid an accident.
3. Wear gloves:
The ones who are new to the kitchen should take some extra care. Hence, we suggest wearing kitchen gloves and doing the job.
4. Don't grab the falling knife:
You will often find the knife slipping while you chop the vegetables. If anything of that sort happens, never try to save it from falling. You may hold the sharper side accidentally and end up cutting yourself.
5. Never throw the knife in the sink:
We have the tendency of throwing dishes in the kitchen sink for our house help to clean. Never do that with your knife as someone might stick a hand and cut themselves accidentally. Always wash the knife after every use.
Follow these quick tips and enjoy experimenting with food in your kitchen!