Here are my top ten favorite tools to use with produce–I’d go so far as to say they’re indispensable. Having these in your kitchen will make your cooking much easier and more enjoyable:
- Several wooden cutting boards (see article on cutting boards for more information)
- Knives (and knife sharpener!)
- Vegetable peeler
- Mushroom brush (a must if you’re a mushroom fan!)
- Citrus juicer (I think I use mine nearly every day, either to squeeze fresh orange juice to drink or to squeeze lemon/lime juice to use in dressings, sauces, marinades, etc.)
- Potato masher (this is great to mash anything–potatoes, beans for bean dip, chickpeas for hummus, bananas to use in baked goods, etc.; in some instances, you can use a potato masher instead of a blender)
- Serrated spoon (this is great for getting the seeds out of apples and other fruits, or in scraping every drop of juice from citrus rinds)
- Salad/tossing spoons (these are critical when mixing salads–they’re large and rounded and won’t crush/bruise the lettuce the way forks or smaller spoons do–and they also double as serving spoons)
- Garlic press (also great for pressing the juice out of a small chunk of fresh gingerroot!)
- Colander/drainer (this isn’t just for pasta–also use it to rinse small fresh fruits, like blueberries and strawberries)
- Cheese grater (use this to grate zucchini, apples, carrots, etc.)
All of these items are fairly inexpensive and make great gifts for new cooks!
Handy Utensils
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Tags: fruit, kitchen tools, vegetables
