Chopping up an Onion.

To cut  up an onion is one of the most frequent kitchen tasks, that’s if you know how to begin chopping one up properly. Chopping up an onion can be done in many ways. One way is to chopped it  horizontally. But if you are not properly trained by a professional to cut an onion in this way, it could  turn out to be a disaster with perhaps a trip to the local emergency department, especially if you have a really sharp knife. So please don’t attempt to cut an onion in this way if you don’t really know what you are doing. Naturally an onion already has this horizontal structure. So why cut more.

So how do I start chopping up an onion?

First place a cutting board under the onion, chopping  both ends of  the onion off  with a sharp knife. Put the onion on the cutting board, on one  of the cut off ends that you have just cut off, to stabilize. Then cut lengthwise so you have 2 halves. Now take off the outer skin of the onion and discard. Take one of the halves of the onion place it flat side down on the cutting board so the round side is facing up.

Chopping the Onion.

With a sharp knife cut cross ways through the onion, which will give you little semi-circle chopping sections. Be careful not to forget your fingers! Try to keep the whole half onion together and gently flip the whole half onion sideways. Sort of like a stack. Depending on how finely you want to cut the onion start from the flat side of your half, and start to cut your onion into the desired pieces. You should end up with small cubes of perfectly cut onion. Keep cutting until you have cut right to the rounded end. Continue with the other half of onion in the same manner as this half.

Finishing off chopping your onion.

If your onion has not turned out as precise or as small as you would like, take your knife and give the onion a quick chopping. By this time you should have perfectly chopped onion. Chopping an onion can be easy if you know how and are careful not to cut yourself in the process..

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Tags: chop, chop-chopping, chopping

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Funny as it sounds, knife collecting is becoming really popular in today’s society. People really are starting to put together a collection of their favourite knives. Weather you were given a knife from an old aunty who has passed on, or you picked one up in an antique shop that had a really great looking handle. You are starting to collect knives.
You can begin to enjoy the history behind it and if your lucky it might even be of some value. Perhaps it is an antique and no one manufactures this sort of knife anymore, is an interesting fact in itself.
You might start off with a specific knife but your interests may head in another direction once you get the bug. You may like a specific brand or type of knife. Or even one shape or type of handle. It doesn’t matter there are so many interesting types of knives out there to start collecting. You can even go to knife auctions where unfortunately you will have to outbid other collectors, but if you do, it can be a really exciting experience to finally win a bid on a knife you have your eye on.
One option you can invest in, is buying knives that are new. Because they are so extraordinarily crafted, they can be held onto until they actually do become antique. This is a new trend among knife collectors. You buy when they are relatively inexpensive. Over time, because they are so well crafted they will only rise in price.
There are thousands of antique knives available in the market today, they are everywhere to be found. In your local flea market, antique shop down the road or just hiding out in granny’s draw. It can be a great investment for your family and a really wonderful hobby to have with hours of enjoyment.
One of the biggest knife collecting clubs in the world which is based in America is the “Case Knife Collectors club” There are over 18,000 members world wide and it continues to grow. W.R Case and Son’s knives are a good quality knife. Perhaps one that is worth seeking out and adding to your collection

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Tags: Knife collecting, Knives

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Differant Types of Knives

Knives are primarily utility hand held equipment knives are probably the earliest tools invented by man. Although originally made of stone. The use of knives still remains the same today. Today knives are made of metal and some are really sophisticated, made of different alloys for strength durability and sharpness.
There are many different types of knives all for different purposes. All purpose utility knives, Cooking Knives, Precision Cutting knives, Camping knives.

Utility Knives

All purpose utility knives are used for any type of cutting jobs. These normally have a 3-4 inch retractable blade. Handles are made of all sorts of material depending on the manufacturer. These can include die cast metal lining, but most commonly laminated plastic is used. Then there are the designer utility knives that have handles made out of ivory, animal horn or the more expensive silver and gold plating.

Cooking Knives

Cooking and kitchen knives are also classed as utility knives but are designed for use in the kitchen and for cooking related purposes. There is a huge range of knives for the kitchen, boning, filleting chefs, bread knives and ham slicers. Kitchen knives are not normally as strong as utility knives as they have a thinner blade for more precision work.

Precission Cutting Knives

Precision cutting knives, are usually known as “thin razor” knives, as they are usually quite small and have very thin blades. Sometimes even only half inch blades.

Camping knives

Camping knives have been made of very strong alloys and are usually quite big. Although they are classed as a utility knife there uses are mainly for cutting very tough materials. You could almost class them as a tool as they are so versatile in their usage.
We use knives every day for many different purposes, but it is best to use a knife made for a specific job, making your work a much easier one.

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Tags: Knives, knives -sharp knife -precission cutting - utility knives- Cooking Knives- Precision Cutting knives- Camping knives.

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Storing Your Knives

Kitchen knives can be stored in wooden blocks or on magnets. It is really essential that they don’t knock into each other wherever you put them.
You will not only save money in the long run, if you look after your knives, but you will have a knife you can trust to do the job every time. If you care for your knives properly, have them sharpened regularly and keep them rust free, they will probably be around long after you are gone.

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Tags: Knives

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