Is It Safe To Use a Knife to Peel Fruits and Vegetables?
A kitchen knife is amongst the tools that are most important in any kitchen. It is useful for everything from cutting, dicing, mincing, and peeling. Knives usually have shape edges that can easily cut through tough foods. But, this same sharp edge is a safety hazard as well. A mistake and the knife can slash open your skin. You have to be very careful when using a knife. Especially when it comes to peeling fruits and vegetables.
People who are handy with knives can easily and quickly peel all sorts of produce. But for those who have just started cooking, peeling with a knife poses a significant challenge as well as a safety concern. That’s why most new chefs are advised to peel the fruits and vegetables with a peeler. Here’s how a knife compares to a vegetable peeler:
KNIFE
The type of knife that most people use for peeling is called the paring knife. It is a simple cutlery item with a straightforward, yet sharp blade that you can use for intricate tasks like removing the outer skin of fruits and veggies, deveining shrimp, and creating delicate garnishes. This versatile tool is extremely useful in meal preparation as it can do everything from trimming to slicing both raw and cooked foods.
Knives are available in different sizes. From a small peeling knife to a full-sized cleaver, you can choose the one that meets your needs the most. They can have straight or serrated blades to tackle different ingredients.
While they tend to be more expensive than vegetable and fruit peelers, knives do go a long way in terms of durability, comfort, and versatility. Though some are definitely heavier in weight. Plus, you can’t forget the safety concern surrounding knives.
Accidents can happen. Even the most seasoned chefs sometimes get nicks and cuts while using knives. So you have to be very conscious and careful when using one to peel your favorite vegetable or fruit.
VEGETABLE PEELER
As the name suggests, a vegetable peeler is a kitchen tool designed to remove the peel from various fruits and vegetables. It has a blade mounted on a handle. The blade is usually stainless steel while the material of the handle could be plastic, rubber, steel, or any other metal. Peelers are great for preparing vegetables and fruits for the meal you are cooking.
Vegetable peelers also come in a variety of shapes and designs. The simplest one features a Y-shaped design with straight yet pivoting blades. It is the perfect tool for peeling vegetables like carrot, cucumber, and potato among others. There are serrated peelers for citruses, julienne peelers for cutting fine strips, and mechanical peelers for difficult-to-hold produce.
No matter what vegetable or fruit you want to peel, there is a peeler for everything. Peeling is the only thing that they are useful for, however. You cannot use one to cut or slice other ingredients.
That said, vegetable peelers do tend to be safer than knives. Their design protects your fingers and hands from exposure to blades. Plus, they also require little strength to use. In fact, the lighter you slide it along the food you are peeling, the better the result. And, they also get more peeling done when you are in a rush or have to prepare a big batch.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Many people prefer using knives because they are more versatile. But when it comes to safety, vegetable peelers are definitely safer. Knives are safe as long as you know what you are doing. What you choose depends upon the type of dish you are preparing, as well as how much time you have to spare.