How do you use a vegetable peeler?

"Gary" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a number of vegetable peelers, most of which look like a wand.
The blade extands from the ahndle in a straight line. These work
fine. I've never cut my fingers.

I recently read a recommendation for another sort of peeler, where the
blade is suspended between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also looks
like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep cutting my fingers; it has
become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the blade never gets
close to my fingers. But apples are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether there is a proper
way to use this so it does not cut the user's fingers?

There's no good way to get a badly designed tool to work, Gary. The one
you've got is obviously not good for peeling apples. Throw it in the junk
drawer, and then put it in your next garage sale.

"Gary" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a number of vegetable peelers, most of which look like a wand.
The blade extands from the ahndle in a straight line. These work
fine. I've never cut my fingers.

I recently read a recommendation for another sort of peeler, where the
blade is suspended between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also looks
like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep cutting my fingers; it has
become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the blade never gets
close to my fingers. But apples are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether there is a proper
way to use this so it does not cut the user's fingers?

Gary, are you pushing or pulling the peeler? The Y-shaped ones are designed
to be pulled towards you, rather than pushed away from you like the
straight-line peelers. I used to sell Tupperware, and I sold several of
those Y-shaped gadgets to people who absolutely loved them. I tried one and
just wasn't comfortable with it - it really seemed to slow up the whole
peeling process. I gave up on it and went back to my straight-line peeler.

Karen

"Karen" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

"Gary" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I recently read a recommendation for another sort of peeler, where the
blade is suspended between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also looks
like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep cutting my fingers; it has
become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the blade never gets
close to my fingers. But apples are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether there is a proper
way to use this so it does not cut the user's fingers?

Gary, are you pushing or pulling the peeler? The Y-shaped ones are
designed to be pulled towards you, rather than pushed away from you like
the straight-line peelers. I used to sell Tupperware, and I sold several
of those Y-shaped gadgets to people who absolutely loved them. I tried
one and just wasn't comfortable with it - it really seemed to slow up the
whole peeling process. I gave up on it and went back to my straight-line
peeler.

I haven't used one of those straight peelers in years and years, and I
don't miss them at all. I love my current Y peeler, I think it's an OXO.
Works great and is almost effortless. Peeling an apple, hold it in one
hand palm up. Place the blade at the top of the apple and drag it down.
Rotate a bit to do the next 'row' ... keep your fingers away.

nancy

Karen said:

I used to sell Tupperware, and I sold several of
those Y-shaped gadgets to people who absolutely loved them. I tried one and
just wasn't comfortable with it - it really seemed to slow up the whole
peeling process. I gave up on it and went back to my straight-line peeler.

As a lefty, the Y-shaped peelers are the only ones I can use. The
straight-lined ones are impossible for me to manage -- I have no
control over them no matter which hand I use. I tend to hold the Y
peeler in my left hand, the food item in my right hand, and (as far as
I can tell while I sit here in my cubicle) I move the food around much
more than I move the peeler itself, especially for round-ish things
like apples and potatoes. I also use the peeler for making thin slices
from a brick of cheese, and for that I put the cheese on a flat surface
and pull the peeler towards me.

--RB

Nancy Young said:

"Karen" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

"Gary" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I recently read a recommendation for another sort of peeler, where the
blade is suspended between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also looks
like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep cutting my fingers; it has
become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the blade never gets
close to my fingers. But apples are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether there is a proper
way to use this so it does not cut the user's fingers?

Gary, are you pushing or pulling the peeler? The Y-shaped ones are
designed to be pulled towards you, rather than pushed away from you like
the straight-line peelers. I used to sell Tupperware, and I sold several
of those Y-shaped gadgets to people who absolutely loved them. I tried
one and just wasn't comfortable with it - it really seemed to slow up the
whole peeling process. I gave up on it and went back to my straight-line
peeler.

I haven't used one of those straight peelers in years and years, and I
don't miss them at all. I love my current Y peeler, I think it's an OXO.
Works great and is almost effortless. Peeling an apple, hold it in one
hand palm up. Place the blade at the top of the apple and drag it down.
Rotate a bit to do the next 'row' ... keep your fingers away.

nancy

Tried Y ones before, can't remember what it was like... I noticed
there are two types of straight peelers - one is fixed, the other ones
the blade can move along the curve e.g. of a potato, prefer the later
ones.. I found the former one (fixed blade) kept having skin stuck
between the blade opening. Saw a seller at a local market peeling
muddy root with a cutter, very quick that was. I like peeling ginger
by scraping with a shape small knife.

Nancy Young said:

Quoted message said:

Gary, are you pushing or pulling the peeler? The Y-shaped ones are
designed to be pulled towards you, rather than pushed away from you like
the straight-line peelers. I used to sell Tupperware, and I sold several
of those Y-shaped gadgets to people who absolutely loved them. I tried
one and just wasn't comfortable with it - it really seemed to slow up the
whole peeling process. I gave up on it and went back to my straight-line
peeler.

I haven't used one of those straight peelers in years and years, and I
don't miss them at all. I love my current Y peeler, I think it's an OXO.
Works great and is almost effortless. Peeling an apple, hold it in one
hand palm up. Place the blade at the top of the apple and drag it down.
Rotate a bit to do the next 'row' ... keep your fingers away.

I use a Henkle peeler with a rigid blade(s). It works great. I never did like
the kind that swivelled.

"Gary" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I recently read a recommendation for another
sort of peeler, where the blade is suspended
between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also
looks like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep
cutting my fingers; it has become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the
blade never gets close to my fingers. But apples
are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether
there is a proper way to use this so it does not cut
the user's fingers?

Practice, practice, practice. It took me probably six months of casual use
to gain proficiency with a y-shaped peeler. I still occasionally catch the
nail of my index finger on my left (the holding) hand when peeling potatoes,
and it's been almost six years since I started using a y-shaped peeler. I
still find the traditional wand-shaped peeler is faster for carrots.

It could also be that the particular y-shaped peeler you purchased doesn't
fit your hand properly -- like knives, one shape and size definitely doesn't
fit all. And there's no shame in deciding that you don't like a particular
piece of equipment. Just be glad that, in this case, it wasn't something
really expensive. 🙂
-j

In article <[email hidden]>, gary_w1
@hotmail.com says...

Quoted message said:

I have a number of vegetable peelers, most of which look like a wand.
The blade extands from the ahndle in a straight line. These work
fine. I've never cut my fingers.

I recently read a recommendation for another sort of peeler, where the
blade is suspended between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also looks
like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep cutting my fingers; it has
become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the blade never gets
close to my fingers. But apples are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether there is a proper
way to use this so it does not cut the user's fingers?

I have grown to prefer that kind of peeler for some tasks. I use it like
I would a paring knife, guiding it over the surface rather than just
whacking away.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

On Tue 02 May 2006 06:16:08a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Gary?

Quoted message said:

I have a number of vegetable peelers, most of which look like a wand.
The blade extands from the ahndle in a straight line. These work
fine. I've never cut my fingers.

I recently read a recommendation for another sort of peeler, where the
blade is suspended between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also looks
like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep cutting my fingers; it has
become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the blade never gets
close to my fingers. But apples are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether there is a proper
way to use this so it does not cut the user's fingers?

The Y-shaped peelers are meant to pulled along the surface of the
vegetable/fruit rather than pushed as you would with the straight peelers.
Pulling in one continuous sweep works better than frequent short strokes.
Naturally, if fingertips are in the way, they are going to "peeled" if not
moved out of the way.

--
Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬
________________________________________

Okay, okay, I take it back! UnScrew you!

Gary said:

I have a number of vegetable peelers, most of which look like a wand.
The blade extands from the ahndle in a straight line. These work
fine. I've never cut my fingers.

I recently read a recommendation for another sort of peeler, where the
blade is suspended between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also looks
like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep cutting my fingers; it has
become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the blade never gets
close to my fingers. But apples are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether there is a proper
way to use this so it does not cut the user's fingers?

The "Y" peeler is my favorite peeler, except for apples. For apples, a
paring knife works great - so do those "automatic" peeler thingies that
clamp onto or down on a counter top. They are super fast, and you get
a cored apple while it is being peeled. You can disengage the slicing
blade, so it's just a ready-to-eat peeled apple. I saw a version at
Menard's the other day for $20.

The Y peeler has been around a LONG time - I probably have one of my
grandma's peelers somewhere in the kitchen stuff. Hers had the blade
across the top of the "Y" and then a mini grater on the "fat" part
below. You just have to learn to keep your fingers out of the way, but
it is WAY faster on potatoes and carrots, particularly, than the
straight-type peeler, and it is much, much easier on arthritic hands.

N.

Gary said:

I have a number of vegetable peelers, most of which look like a wand.
The blade extands from the ahndle in a straight line. These work
fine. I've never cut my fingers.

I recently read a recommendation for another sort of peeler, where the
blade is suspended between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also looks
like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep cutting my fingers; it has
become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the blade never gets
close to my fingers. But apples are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether there is a proper
way to use this so it does not cut the user's fingers?

I use the one from Williams Sonoma and I've never cut myself. I
love it. I use it to shave cheese, too, since it takes off
really thin slices. My "upright" peeler cuts too deep. I
probably cut myself more with the upright then the Y.

-sw

Gary said:

I have a number of vegetable peelers, most of which look like a wand.
The blade extands from the ahndle in a straight line. These work
fine. I've never cut my fingers.

I recently read a recommendation for another sort of peeler, where the
blade is suspended between the ends of a Y-shaped handle (also looks
like a sling-shot). I bought one and keep cutting my fingers; it has
become a Gary peeler.

I can get it to work well on carrots, because the blade never gets
close to my fingers. But apples are a real problem.

Before I throw it away, can anyone suggest whether there is a proper
way to use this so it does not cut the user's fingers?

I love my Tupperware Y peeler and I use it for everything: potatoes,
carrots, apples, squash, turnip, etc. Like another poster, I have been
using that shape since the 60s when Mom had the kind with the wide,
grater type handle. I've never cut myself, although I've occasionally
snagged a nail or two. I agree that it does take some getting used to.

Gabby