Knife Skills

• First things first! Place a wet rag underneath the cutting board so it won’t move around.

• Make sure that there are no small kids, pets, or crazy roommates running around. They will take your attention away from the knife and you will cut yourself.

• Always use a sharp, clean knife.

• Hold the knife between the thumb and forefinger, and then grip the handle firmly. It should feel comfortable and have a nice weight to it.

• Always cut away from yourself. Do not cut food towards your hand.

• Fold your fingertips under while holding onto the food. That way you won’t cut them off. Your hand should look like a bear claw - grrrr!

• Use cool and calm motions. Concentrate on every cut.

• Never try to catch a falling knife. You will cut yourself!

• Keep knives away from young children. If young kids are cooking, use a plastic lettuce knife to cut soft foods (Bed Bath and Beyond).

• Always store your knives in a safe place. The blades should be covered, and they should only be accessible to adults and properly trained young people.

• Do not throw knives into the bottom of a sink filled with soapsuds. People that reach their hand in the murky water could seriously hurt themselves.

• Use the proper knife for the job. Do not use a cleaver for detail work, or a paring knife to carve a turkey. Most work can be done with a chef’s knife

When is a good time to teach knife skills to kids?

I think when kids get to be 11-12 that it would be a great time for them to begin learning knife skills. This is a time when they are a bit more mature and independent, and they will want to cook snacks for themselves, their brothers, sisters and friends. You will also let them reinforce the skills they learn in school cooking programs that begin around this age.

You can train youngsters in knife skills by starting out with a plastic lettuce knife. It looks and feels like a metal bladed knife but is safe for people of all ages to use.