You should regularly replace this item in your kitchen drawer
I take reasonably good care of some of the knives I use every day. The slightly more expensive ones (there are only two) do get sharpened and honed fairly regularly. Every now and then, I get incredibly annoyed by the blunt paring knives (who doesn’t?) and, if my absent-minded self happens to remember, I buy a few new ones at the store to replace them. But do you know what often really gets forgotten, with some people having kept them in their drawer for decades, blunt and all?
The humble vegetable peeler. I can honestly say that I’ve only ever replaced a vegetable peeler because I threw the previous one in the bin along with the peelings (I think—it remains a mystery). Even though those things naturally get blunt too! Especially if you use them every day, for carrots for your lunchbox, the most delicious Thai pumpkin soup, or shaving courgette ribbons for a quick salad.
Ina leads the way
There is actually something to be said for the advice to replace them once a year. That advice comes from Ina Garten, something of an icon in the American food scene. She’s also the woman who amazed us with her tip on how to cut a cauliflower, and honestly, I don’t do it any other way now. “They get rusty and blunt [especially if you use them on firm vegetables like the aforementioned pumpkin], and they’re cheap. I simply replace them regularly.” We do advocate creating as little waste as possible. But it is indeed true that, because of their shape, vegetable peelers are not very easy to clean and dry properly, so they lose their quality more quickly than some other knives. To extend their lifespan as much as possible, dry them immediately after washing. And when they need replacing because you’ve used them a lot, you don’t have to feel guilty. Much less silly than having thrown one away with the potato peelings and all…
The ultra-simple Swiss vegetable peeler recommended by many chefs is by Kuhn Rikon, and you can order it as a set of three on Amazon. #Nospon, simply good.
Read also:
- 9 things you really shouldn’t do with your good knife
- Julia Child revealed the secret to the perfect potato salad
- Thai knives at a bargain price
