9 Tricks For Cutting And Peeling Fruits, Vegetables, And More

One of the best places to save time and reduce stress is in the kitchen. Preparing meals day after day can get tedious and time-consuming, so every little time-saver helps! Peeling and cutting fruits & vegetables ends up being a big part of meal prep, so we've come up with 9 clever tricks that will make the whole process much easier and faster. Peel fruit without getting frustrated, chop vegetables like there's no tomorrow, and even reduce food waste with these super simple techniques. Now you can spend more time with the 'family' part of your family dinners! 

1. Slice Melons

You'll Need:

  • 1 quarter

Here's How:

Press the quarter into the outside of the melon, creating a deep ridge all the way around its circumference. Firmly hit the ridge with the heel of your hand, and the whole melon will magically split in 2.

2. Efficiently Cut Bell Peppers

You'll Need:

  • knife

Here's How:

The most efficient way to cut bell peppers is actually not by cutting them in half and removing the top. If you cut diagonally around the stem instead, the pesky seeds will get removed along with the stem, and you'll waste less of the pepper.

3. Shell Hazelnuts

You'll Need:

  • scissors
  • hammer

Here's How:

Position the hazelnut you'd like to shell inside the handle of a pair of scissors to keep it in place. Hit the hazelnut firmly with a hammer, then you can easily remove the shell.

4. Peel & Store Oranges 

You'll Need:

  • knife
  • 2 rubber bands

Here's How:

Cut through the peel of the orange in a spiral pattern, moving from top to bottom so that you can remove the peel in 1 piece. If you want to finish eating the orange later but don't have a container to put it in, wrap the fruit back up inside the peel and hold it in place using 2 rubber bands. The orange will stay fresh for longer!

5. Remove Seeds From Chili Peppers

You'll Need:

  • knife

Here's How:

Roll the chili pepper firmly on a cutting board using the palm of your hand. The seeds will loosen inside the chili pepper, so you can just cut open the pepper and shake them out instead of meticulously scraping the sides while you're cutting it.

6. Slice Mushrooms

You'll Need:

  • wooden skewer
  • knife

Here's How:

Stack several mushrooms on 1 wooden skewer, then use a knife to cut them into even slices while propping them up.

7. Peel Peaches

You'll Need:

  • ice-cold water

Here's How:

Fill a bowl with ice water, then submerge the peach in it. After it soaks briefly, the peach's peel will come right off.

8. Slice Leeks

You'll Need:

  • fork

Here's How:

To cut leeks in an easy, uniform way, cut the end off, then create deep grooves in the white section of the leek using a fork, making even strips.

9. Slice Hard-Boiled Eggs 

You'll Need:

  • spring from inside a pen 

Here's How:

If you don't have an egg cutter on hand, you can just remove the spring from the inside of a pen and use it to slice hard-boiled eggs. The cut will also have a nice ribbed texture!

You can never have enough tips & tricks for cooking in the kitchen. Whether you're a professional chef or a home cook, these simple & effective food preparation tricks will change the way you cut, slice, and peel!

Get the instructions for the Fruit & Vegetable Peeling Tricks, Tried & True Food Peeling Hacks, and Refreshing Ways To Use Fruit featured in the bonus video.

Comments

Also hefty