How to use a mandolin slicer

 How to Use Mandoline slicers without Cutting Your Fingers

 Using Mandoline slicers without Cutting Your Fingers

Mandoline slicers with their super-sharp seem alarming for many home cooks. But these are also some of the most effective ways to shave sprouts for salads, cut apples for pies, and spuds for delicious steamed potatoes.  Do not worry; these tools are safe when you are well aware of the mandoline slicer. With this guide, you can master to use of a mandoline slicer, as we share our safety tips for kitchen mandolins.

What are Mandoline Slicers?

Mandoline slicers come in different sizes; some are flat while others are hung and folded. The blades are shaped differently and slice food in a shorter time. If you have sharpened your knife skills, and you do cutting manually, a mandoline helps the process and cuts everything smoothly, and even. 

What are the Types of Mandoline Slicers?

There are two basic kinds of mandoline slicers.

V-shaped Blade: 

It is a little difficult to get perfectly even slices with this type of mandoline. It is better for handling soft fruits and vegetables for example mushrooms and tomatoes with care. 

Straight-blade: 

These mandoline blades are the smaller ones. These cut an even piece of food and you can use them to slice hard vegetables and fruits, for example, squash and potatoes.

Both of these slicers are with a few alternatives and a straight-edged blade. These fine blades can cut foods into very thin pieces that are difficult to make with a knife. Medium blades can perfectly dice, and rough blades are best for cutting carrots, celery sticks, and French fries to snack on. 

How to Use a Mandoline Slicer?

The mandoline model you choose can vary, but it is safe and easy to use when you remember these steps:

  • Keep the mandoline slicer vertical to your body for sufficient control, with the slope heading away from you.
  • You can use a sharp Knife for more stability when you are cutting a food item without a flat surface.
  • You place the food in the holder available over the mandoline blade.
  • Now you put a little force on the food to run it upward and downward over the slicer to cut all the fruit or vegetables you want.

If you do not have a kitchen mandoline holder, buy a separate kitchen mandoline guard, or a cut-resistant glove.

  • If you do not have a mandoline holder, then:
  • When you cut long strips, place your palm flat and your fingers raised.
  • When you cut round pieces, keep your knuckles twisted and fingers tucked.
  • When you are near the core of the food you are dicing, you can take a knife and finish it that way or you can compost the leftover instead of risking your fingers.

Which Foods You Can Cut with Mandoline Slicer?

 

Fruits You Can Cut with Mandoline Slicer:

Citrus: 

It is helpful when you make big batches of cocktails, lemonade, or tea. You can cut in rounds or half-moons of citrus for serving in drinks.

Pears and Apples:

Set the blade for a thicker cut to slice apples for crisps, crumbles, and apple pies. Small matchsticks of pears and apples or freshly peeled slices are a delicious addition to winter snacks.

Melon: 

When you require cutting for a bulk of snacking or fruit salad, Slice the melon into smaller parts, and then the mandoline will perfectly cut to present.

Tomatoes: 

A V-shaped blade can do it easily as it tackles softer fruits and vegetables nicely.

Stone fruit: 

You would love to add thin pieces of nectarines, peaches, apricots, and plums to summer salads.

Vegetables You Can Cut with Mandoline Slicer:

Brussels sprouts: 

 You put the sprouts in the safety holder as these are small and can slip. 

Broccoli stems: 

You can use broccoli stems as a crunchy part of coleslaw. You can take the mandoline with the medium forked blade to cut them and

Bell peppers: 

Prepare the peppers by cutting the sides away from the seeds with a knife, then use the mandoline.

Cabbage: 

Shredding cabbage is the easiest with the mandoline. 

Carrots:

Long peeled slices of carrots are refreshing raw in salads.

Chiles: 

When you make nachos or tacos, the mandoline is a perfect blade.

Cucumbers: 

You can add thinly sliced cucumbers to grain bowls.

Fennel:

The mandoline slicer quickly dice the peeled fennel.

Leeks: 

When you require cutting of leeks in bulk, the mandoline is a great choice to use.

Lettuce: 

Before you use mandoline slicer, cut lettuce into smaller portions.

Mushrooms: 

For super-thin mushroom slices, the mandoline is good to go.

Onions: 

You can cut the onions into halves before putting them on a thin setting. 

Potatoes: 

You can also slice potatoes paper-thin to make potato chips. 

Zucchini: 

Summer squash and thinly peeled zucchini are delicious raw.

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