Methods of Cutting Vegetables and Fruit

Although traditionally these are the proper cutting methods designated for vegetables, their use applies also to fruit in the pastry kitchen. Proper cutting results in vegetables and fruit of uniform size and shape and ensures that the items will cook evenly. It is particularly important to follow the guidelines for proper cutting because it allows more than one person to prepare items for a specific recipe. Appropriate cutting also is used to enhance the aesthetic of the finished presentation. These methods should be practiced over and over until the appropriate cut can be made almost with closed eyes. Just as the old joke says that the way to Carnegie Hall is through practice, practice, practice, so it is also that practice is the only way to master proper cutting techniques and sizes.