How to Use a Paring Knife for Various Food Prep Tasks

Are you wondering how to use a paring knife? This type of knife is one of the most common in the kitchen. It is small and has a plain-edged blade that is intended for doing small or detailed carvings such as removing seeds and de-veining shrimp.

Despite its minute size, a paring knife is a one-of-a-kind, versatile cutlery that every kitchen must have. It is often used as a substitute for a chef’s knife. Once you get the hang of using it, peeling and other cutting tasks will be much more efficient for you.

Using a Good Quality Paring Knife

A paring knife is not as simple as it seems. Its construction must be sturdy, the blade must be sharp and strong, and the handle must be comfortable and provide a good grip.

Before you successfully master the use of a paring knife, you must first buy a good one. The strongest kind of paring knife has full-tang built. A full-tang paring knife has the blade that extends all the way through the handle.

How to Use a Paring Knife for Various Purposes

A paring knife is a versatile piece of cutlery that is typically used to peel, slice, core, and carve fruits and vegetables. Here’s a guide to using a paring knife for various purposes:

• Zesting citrus fruits

A handy peeler is intended for zesting citrus fruits. However, when this peeler is unavailable, you can actually use a paring knife. How do you zest a citrus fruit with a paring knife? Simply insert the knife under the skin of the citrus between the white pith. Slide the knife down to produce zest in thin strips or small pieces.

• Coring tomatoes and strawberries

Serrated knives are usually used to remove the core of tomatoes. Without this tool, a paring knife can actually be a convenient substitute. Using the tip of the blade, insert the tip on the core area and make a circular motion until the core is completely removed. Do the same method for hulling strawberries.

• Sliding out the cake from a pan

Freshly-baked cakes flawlessly slide out of the pan. However, this is not always the case. A paring knife can help the cake slide out while still preserving the cake’s aesthetics. Gently insert the blade around the edge of the pan and gradually work the cake out of it.

• Removing the seeds of paprika or jalapenos

Paprika and jalapenos are examples of fresh produce with seeds that need to be removed. A paring knife is a helpful tool for this task. How is this done?

First, cut the vegetable in two. Then, use the tip of the knife’s blade to remove the small parts of the interior of the vegetable, such as the ribs of the jalapeno. After that, hold the tip against these parts and slice through the flesh to take the seeds out.

• Slicing fruits and vegetables

The most common use of a paring knife is slicing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. In doing this, place the round fruit or vegetable on top of the cutting board with both ends of the fruit or vegetable horizontal to the board.

Then, put the paring knife on top of the other end of the fruit or vegetable. Push it down so that the blade slides across the flesh until you hit the board. Turn it around and do the same procedure for the other end.

Next, stand the fruit or vegetable up on one of the cut edges. Doing this makes it stable as you slice it into smaller pieces. Place the paring knife on top of the fruit or vegetable and slice all the way down. Repeat this procedure as many times and pieces as needed.

• Peeling thin skins off fruit and vegetables

Paring knives give you complete control as you peel off thin skins of some fruits and vegetables. This is thanks to the knife’s sharp edge, which creates quicker and cleaner cuts than some regular peelers.

To do this, grasp the fruit or vegetable vertically with your thumb on the bottom and your index finger on the top end. Let your dominant hand hold the knife, and secure the dull part of the paring knife with your index finger’s knuckle. Then, place the edge of the blade on top of the fruit or vegetable.

Afterward, slightly slip into the skin of the fruit or vegetable. Make sure that you are doing thin peels. Pull the knife toward your thumb as you peel off the fruit or vegetable skin. Do it until the skin has been completely removed.

• Removing thick skins of fruits and vegetables

Examples of fruits with thick skin are the citruses. A paring knife can also efficiently remove the thick skins. To do it, first, hold the knife with your dominant hand and the fruit with your free hand. Then, hold the knife with all your fingers and your thumb against the side of the blade.

Create a small cut into one side of the fruit. Cut between the pith and skin while rotating sideways to peel the entire skin.

• De-veining shrimp

Aside from cutting fruits and vegetables, another popular use of a paring knife is removing the veins of the shrimp. The small size of a paring knife is efficient for deveining shrimp.

To do this, slightly insert the blade of the knife along the back of the shrimp to create a surface cut. Then, using the tip, slowly and carefully pull the vein out.

Conclusion

A paring knife is a small yet very versatile kind of kitchen knife. It can be used in any cutlery tasks such as peeling, zesting, slicing, and de-veining. Learning how to use a paring knife is easy, but it takes a little getting used to.

Generally, you hold it with your dominant hand while your free hand holds the fruit or vegetable. Make sure to use sharp and sturdy paring knife in order to perform the task conveniently and avoid damage or accidents.