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You may be most comfortable with a
specific type of peeler and use it for all vegetables. But the trick to
peeling quickly and with the minimum of waste is to use a variety of
tools, depending on the fruit or vegetable you're peeling.
A
swivel-type vegetable peeler is best for vegetables with thin, delicate
skins, such as asparagus and carrots. A peeler with a fixed blade is
better for vegetables with thick skins that require deeper peeling, such
as celeriac, a paring knife works best, because it allows you to reach
into the nooks and crannies below the surface of the peel.
Some
vegetables, such as onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and chestnuts, require
special peeling methods.
Kitchen Notes and
Tips -
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Each
type of peeler is most effective used a specific way. A swivel-type
peels with a back-and-forth movement, or by moving it away from you. Use
non-swivel peelers by peeling toward yourself, as if you were using a
knife.
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Peel
thin-skinned vegetables such as carrots and asparagus with a swivel-type
peeler.
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Peel
thicker-skinned vegetables such as eggplant, turnips and potatoes with a
non-swivel peeler.
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String
fennel and celery with either a peeler or a knife.
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Peel
very thick skinned vegetables such as celery root and winter squash with
a knife.
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A short
plunge into boiling water will loosen the peels of onions and tomatoes
and the inner peels of peeled chestnuts. This trick is especially handy
for peeling pearl onions.
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Many
people don't think peeling asparagus is worth the bother, but peeled
asparagus is easier to cook because the stalks cook in the same time as
the florets - and you can eat the whole stalk if it's been peeled.
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