CH Runners

Not Running => Food => Topic started by: sweetie darling on December 08, 2014, 08:53:06 PM

Title: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: sweetie darling on December 08, 2014, 08:53:06 PM
I can't believe I still struggle with this ... I typically buy whole or half nuts and chop them myself. I don't buy the pieces because they are too uniform and too small (I like my nuts to have character!!). But the method for chopping efficiently escapes me year after year. I've got a large and small Cuisinart, but even if I lightly pulse, it still seems to make too much nut powder. I've got a manual chopper that's just too small to be efficient, and I've tried chopping by hand, but that just results in nuts flying all over the kitchen.

Anyone have any good tips or techniques that will work with my preference for "lightly" chopped nuts?

 ???
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: JBM on December 08, 2014, 08:59:42 PM
I just make a pile on a cutting board and use a big knife and chop, chop, chop.


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Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: onawhim on December 08, 2014, 09:23:56 PM
Nice big sharp chef's knife and use a rocking motion.  I prefer this way. 

Or you can put in a ziploc and hit with a rolling pin.  Use a large sieve for the nut powder.
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: nadra24 on December 08, 2014, 10:32:51 PM
Nice big sharp chef's knife and use a rocking motion.  I prefer this way. 

Or you can put in a ziploc and hit with a rolling pin.  Use a large sieve for the nut powder.


If I have a lot of nuts to chop, I use the ziplock method.  I generally use the bottom of a glass instead of a rolling pin. 

If it's 5-6 pecan halves for my morning oatmeal, I just use my fingers to break them into pieces.
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: sweetie darling on December 08, 2014, 11:31:48 PM
I don't do well with the big knife method, but I'll revisit the Ziploc/hammer option. I used to do that and can't remember what made me stop, other than a long break from baking ...

Thx  :)
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: fancypants on December 09, 2014, 06:34:11 AM

If I have a lot of nuts to chop, I use the ziplock method.  I generally use the bottom of a glass instead of a rolling pin. 

If it's 5-6 pecan halves for my morning oatmeal, I just use my fingers to break them into pieces.
Pecans in oatmeal? Great idea!
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: merigayle on December 09, 2014, 06:58:27 AM
If I have a lot of nuts to chop, I use the ziplock method.  I generally use the bottom of a glass instead of a rolling pin. 

If it's 5-6 pecan halves for my morning oatmeal, I just use my fingers to break them into pieces.
i use this method
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: caribougrrl on December 09, 2014, 09:15:08 AM
Pecans in oatmeal? Great idea!

my oatmeal frequently has pecans and dried sour cherries in it...

walnuts are good in oatmeal too, especially with apple
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: nadra24 on December 09, 2014, 03:15:46 PM
Pecans in oatmeal? Great idea!

Pecans and frozen blueberries are my favorite, especially if you use milk or almond milk as all or part of the cooking liquid.  Creamy and delicious.  I also like chopped apples and pecans, walnuts would be tasty but they give me canker sores so I stick with pecans or sometimes sliced almonds.
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: CheryG on December 11, 2014, 05:21:09 PM
Growing up I loved using this thing:

(https://img1.etsystatic.com/048/1/10096651/il_570xN.673450375_1hru.jpg)
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: srsly on December 11, 2014, 05:23:42 PM
Growing up I loved using this thing:

(https://img1.etsystatic.com/048/1/10096651/il_570xN.673450375_1hru.jpg)

I had one of those from Pampered chef. It worked better than the old fashioned type until I ruined the blade (bent it somehow). I still think chopping nuts the old fashioned way is the best way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRke3_41RmY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRke3_41RmY)
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: sweetie darling on December 28, 2014, 11:07:07 AM
(http://lghttp.21049.nexcesscdn.net/809F1B/mage/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/106x106/17f82f742ffe127f42dca9de82fb58b1/v/-/v-grd_3.jpg)

My mom had one with a grinder at the top that worked well.

I had one of those from Pampered chef. It worked better than the old fashioned type until I ruined the blade (bent it somehow). I still think chopping nuts the old fashioned way is the best way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRke3_41RmY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRke3_41RmY)


Oh sure, pecans are nice and flat! Where's the video with pistachios flying all over the kitchen?  :D

Guess I need to practice my big knife rocking skills ...
Title: Re: Can we talk nut chopping?
Post by: srsly on December 29, 2014, 01:07:55 PM
(http://lghttp.21049.nexcesscdn.net/809F1B/mage/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/106x106/17f82f742ffe127f42dca9de82fb58b1/v/-/v-grd_3.jpg)

My mom had one with a grinder at the top that worked well.


Oh sure, pecans are nice and flat! Where's the video with pistachios flying all over the kitchen?  :D

Guess I need to practice my big knife rocking skills ...

We chopped pistachios with our big chef's knife in the cooking school in Paris. It's really the only way our pastry chef prefers to do despite the availability of a food processor. He made it look very easy to do. But like anything, it's about having lots of practice.