You might be wondering 'what are paring knives used for?' and why is it an important knife to own. Tools like the knives we are talking about today have a flat sharp edge that is normally 3.5 inches in length.
The paring knife definition is discussed in great detail in this article and you are going to be pleasantly surprised at what you are going to learn, too.
We are going to talk about all of the common uses of a paring knife, but first, let's take a look at what it is and how it differs from other knives.
What is It?
A paring knife is a perfect thing to use when looking for a knife to cut and carve your way through a vegetable or for precise jobs like deveining shrimp.
Coring an apple with one of these knives leaves you free from that nasty centerpiece, too.
When peeling fruits and vegetables, it requires that you use blades that are thin and have a sharp tip so that you can cut with precision.
These Knives are Amazing for Small Details
A paring knife might not be as effective as a chef's knife when using it to cut meat, but it's great if you are hulling strawberries.
If you wish to hull strawberries, a paring knife is a perfect tool for the job. Put your fruit on a cutting board and use your paring knife to cut the tops off.
A paring knife can also be the best thing to use to peel citrus or remove the core of an apple.
Having a sharp paring knife and blade is essential when preparing and peeling in the kitchen, and everyone should have a knife like this in their drawer or butcher block.
It would help if you had a paring knife that is sharp enough to slice up tomatoes, garlic, and meat but also has enough precision enough to use to cut herbs, tomatoes, and shrimp.
Using a straight blade razor-sharp can give you those cuts that are 4 inches thick when you are carving and slicing with those classic serrated blades.
Bird's Beak Paring Knife - What Is It?
If you use a paring knife in the kitchen, you might think it's the best thing since sliced bread.
You are in for a surprise here, as this is a curved blade paring knife called the bird's beak paring knife. The blade is mainly used for detailed work in restaurants around the world.
It is used to complete tasks such as peeling fruit and vegetables. This paring knife can be found in any good chef's knife collection.
The blade on the bird's beak paring knife is used to carve intricate designs into fruit in fancy restaurants worldwide. The handle of the paring knife is made from plastic or even wood.
The pointed tip of the blade can make quick work of deveining shrimp and cutting other food in the kitchen...as you can see, it has many amazing uses.
How to Use A Paring Knife
How to hold a paring knife is one of the things that you are probably thinking about.
Do not fear, today not only are you finding out what you use a paring knife for, but you are also learning how to use one.
Paring knives are good for a range of kitchen tasks that require a knife to slice or peel vegetables. Search your kitchen for your paring knife and get ready to put it to use.
Using a Paring Knife for Citrus Fruit
When using your paring knife, make sure to grip to handle firmly so that you can have full control of the knife. Let's demonstrate this by considering a citrus fruit, like an orange.
Hold the handle and use control to cut towards yourself, cutting less than an inch underneath the skin of the orange while firmly holding the fruit in one hand.
Using a Paring Knife for Tomatoes
You can use the tip of the knife for piercing tomatoes when you don't have a serrated blade on hand.
You can Hull Strawberries, Too!
Steel paring knives are a must-have for any cooking enthusiast that wants to use it for hulling strawberries.
Get your cutting board out and use the edge of the blade to slice the fruit stem off, and the strawberry is ready to eat.
Different people have different techniques, so find what works best for you and go with it.
Where Would We Be Without Paring Knives?
Paring knives play an integral role in a multitude of tasks in the kitchen, such as cutting the skin off of fruits.
A paring knife can be effective in coring an apple if your technique is on point. People also use it to take the vein out of shrimp and cut food into a precise shape or size.
The thin blade is perfect for slicing food lengthways when cutting thin pieces. Paring knife uses are endless if you know how to cut with them.
You Can't Use a Paring Knife Like a Chef's Knife
You can clearly see all the uses of paring knives, but now imagine doing all these precise tasks with a chef's knife.
It would prove to be difficult as the grip and handle of the chef's knife would be too large for small tasks.
Have Several Types of Knives Available When Cooking
A good tip is to have a full selection of tools when you cook. It makes the process of preparing food easier and more enjoyable.
Search for the best paring knife that suits your technique and hand size and always remember, the paring knife is an essential part of any cook's collection of knives.
Final Thoughts
Owning a paring knife and knowing how to use one is imperative for anyone who spends a lot of time cooking or preparing food.
It is a vital item to have in any kitchen and it can be used for a variety of different tasks.
If you Cook, You Need this Knife
You would be silly to not own one of these and keep the edge of the blade sharp. Make sure to keep the knife sharpened so that you can make use of it for years to come.
Remember you can use it to remove the vein from shrimp and even peel your fruits and veg. Feel free to fall in love with your paring knife as it helps you with detailed tasks while cooking.
Anyone who wants to improve their food preparation time needs to get themselves a paring knife.