Paring knives are a small utility knife. They are used for chopping and peeling fruits and vegetables. These knives are extremely versatile. You can use these knives in a variety of ways. Its various uses make them one of the most popular knives in every kitchen. If you do not have any knife in your kitchen, then the paring knife will be a great product for your first investment.
The paring knives are thin-bladed small knives. These are used to cut the thin outer layer of fruits and vegetables. It is easy to handle and works well for peeling foods. It is also useful for cutting different small ingredients, such as single garlic cloves, shallots, onions, chilies etc.
Uses of Paring Knives:
Paring knives are extremely versatile and efficient. Unlike the chef’s knife, you can use the paring knife in anywhere. You know, the chef’s knife needs a flat and hard chopping board to cut anything. But, you can use the paring knife on your hands too. It is totally safe to use.
They can be used in a wide variety of ways. You can use this knife for any cutting job which needs delicate and precise work. Here I have listed some smart ways to put paring knives to work. Let’s check this out –
Slicing:
You can easily slice vegetables and fruits with the paring knife. This knife works great as a slicer. Its small and thin blade can slice your fruits and vegetables more accurately and efficiently. You can also slice the toughest skin with a very little effort. To slice the round foods like potatoes, onions, lemons etc, lay that down horizontally on your chopping board. Read more about slicing knife uses.
You can also use any hard and flat surface to slice your fruits. After lying, place your knife near one end and push it down straightly. Repeat this process until you get your fruits or vegetables fully sliced.
Peeling Fruits and Vegetables:
If you don’t have a peeler in your kitchen, you may use a paring knife. You can use the paring knife in the similar way you use a peeler. Instead of using a vegetable peeler, a paring knife is very quick and sharp enough. The paring knives are more useful especially for the thickly skinned foods like potatoes, apples, oranges etc.
To peel your food, at first hold the food tightly between your forefinger and your thumb. You can put this in your palm too. Then, hold the hand by using your dominant hand. Then slide the knife under the skin. You have to guide the knife using the thumb of your dominant hand. After successfully peeling a side, rotate the food with another hand.
Uses of the Tip:
The tip of the paring knife is super sharp. This sharp tip is perfect for the complicated works such as seeding the small jalapeno peppers, removing veins from shrimps etc. To use the tip, you have to hold the knife with your dominant hand and put your thumb close to the tip.
Press the tip of your knife against the small section of food and make a mark on it. By repeating this process over and over, your food will be cut just as you want. The tip of the knife can remove the stem and carve out of strawberries too.
It will be better to use a finger protector while using the tip. You can buy this protector from online or any retailer store. However, most of the paring knives come with an additional finger protector.
Releasing Cake from Baking Pan:
The cake is a delicious food. Everyone loves to eat it. But baking a piece of cake is not as easy as eating. There are multiple crazy steps to bake a piece of delicious cake. But, baking doesn’t mean that you have successfully done your job. While we bake cakes, pudding, bread etc, they don’t slide out easily. Releasing the cake from the baking pan is another painful job.
If you have a paring knife, this painful job will be completely painless for you. In this situation, a paring knife will be a lifesaver for you. Use the tip of your knife slowly to remove the cake from your baking pan.
Hulling Strawberries:
Strawberries are one of the tastiest foods around the whole world. However, hulling the skin of a strawberry is not easy. As it is a smaller fruit, so it takes more concentration to remove the hull properly. But, if you use the tip of your paring knife, then you can easily remove the skin of your strawberry.
Peeling Thin Skin:
Paring knives are also used to peel back the thin skins of fruits and vegetables. The sharp thin edge of the paring knife can make quicker and cleaner cuts than some special peelers. For peeling the thin skin, you have to hold the food vertically with your finger and the knife in your dominant hand with three fingers.
Then place the first knuckle of the finger against the dull side of the knife’s blade and peel the skin down toward the thumb. Repeat the whole process until the full skin has been removed.
Peeling Thick Skin:
Paring knives can also peel the thick-skinned fruits like lemon, radishes, oranges etc. To peel the thick skins, hold the knife by wrapping four fingers of your dominating hand. Then make a smaller abscission on a side of your food. Then rotate the knife slightly in the sideways. Try to rotate the knife clockwise.
The rotating style depends on your dominating hand. If you are a right-handed person, use the clockwise style. On the other hand, the anti-clockwise rotation will be easier for the left-handed people.
Prepare Spare Ribs for The Grill:
When you are ready for a barbecue party, you may think that you do not need the smaller knives. But, you need one. We know that grill is one of the most common items of a barbecue party. But what about cutting that grill? It is not possible with the extremely larger knives. Paring knives are more useful to do this task. So use a paring knife and make your party more enjoyable than ever.
Final Thought:
As a utility knife, paring knives are more useful than the similar chef’s knives. Within a limited budget, these small and handier paring knives will be the best value for your money. Here we have listed the most important uses of the paring knives. Hope that you have received a clear idea about the uses of paring knives. If you have more smart tips about paring knives, don’t forget to share with us. Until then, Enjoy!
Related Resources:
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Paring-Knife
https://www.thekitchn.com/5-more-ways-to-use-a-paring-knife-234679
https://cutleryadvisor.com/kitchen-knife-buying-guide/
https://cutleryadvisor.com/kitchen-knife-brands/
https://cutleryadvisor.com/what-is-a-santoku-knife-used-for/
