Shredded vegetables bring new flavors and increase the beauty of any dish. Moreover, they add various health benefits, which is very helpful for people in different age groups.
If you are planning to prepare coleslaw, you have to shred a cabbage head. In the case of hash browns, you have to work with the potatoes.
Knowing the techniques to shred different vegetables is mandatory. If you get a good grip of it, you won’t have to go through any hassle when you’re making delicious foods for your friends and family.
Now you might be wondering, ‘How do you shred vegetables?’ The answer to this question is given in this article. Go through it, because it is loaded with beneficial information that can help you out. Keep on reading!
Shredding Tools
These tools are great when it comes to shredding vegetables. Each of them has their own advantages and disadvantages.
- Box Grate
This kitchen tool has various features, which make it popular among people. You won’t have to be concerned about budget as it is affordable.
Surprisingly, it comes with four functions that can make your work smooth and efficient. It has a shredding surface with large holes, a grating surface, a slicing surface, and a shredding surface with small holes.
- Plane Grater
This excellent tool won’t take much space in your kitchen. You can even store them in the drawer without any problem. It comes with a single shredding (fine or large hole) surface that is connected to a handle.
Step-by-Step Process
Below, you will find the processes to shred different types of vegetables. Take notes wherever you find something worth remembering.
Shredding Non-Leafy Vegetables
Using this process, you will be able to shred beets, carrots, potatoes, and other kinds of root vegetables. Plus, you also shred asparagus, cucumbers, yellow summer squash, etc.
- Step 1: Take the vegetables and wash them gently. Clean all the surface area, and do a second check when you are done.
- Step 2: If it is necessary, peel the vegetables. It is best that you do this step for onions, carrots, turnips, celery root, and other root vegetables. You can use a peeler (made for vegetable) to make it easy. For radish, yellow squash, zucchini, and asparagus, ignore peeling.
- Step 3: Using a box or plane grate, slowly slide the vegetable over the large sized holes. Start from the top of the grating surface, and move the vegetable to the bottom.
- Step 4: To get smaller chunks, you can use a grater small holes.
Shredding Leafy Vegetables
You can shred leafy vegetables like lettuce without the help of a grater. Follow these steps to get beautiful results for red, romaine, butterhead, and green leaf lettuce, savoy cabbage, kale, swiss chard, napa cabbage, turnip greens, escarole, and other leafy vegetables.
- Step 1: Remove the outer leaves and stems if they are tough. Gently wash the vegetable with cold water to remove dirt and other external debris. Use a spinner specifically designed for salads top at or spin dry the vegetable.
- Step 2: Take a cutting board and put all the leaves on it.
- Step 3: Shred the leaves in ¼”to 1/8” size with a chef’s knife or cleave.
- Step 4: After you are done, take a bowl and put all the vegetables in it. You can further use for them to make dishes.
Benefits of Shredded Vegetables
Here are all the benefits that you will get when you use shredded vegetables in your recipe.
Can be Used in Salads
Some vegetables are challenging to eat when they are raw because of the size or toughness. Vegetables like turnips, carrots, celery root, zucchini, and cucumbers are examples of this.
If you shred them, they won’t be in their usual shape anymore. They will be much smaller, and go very well with salads. Plus, they will be soft, which can be easier to eat.
Makes Taco or Sandwich More Delicious
If you are a sandwich or taco lover, it is obvious that you are aware of the key ingredients of these delicious foods. Using shredded iceberg lettuce, spinach, and leaf lettuce can take their flavor to a new level.
Brings New Flavors
You won’t be able to eat raw escarole or turnip greens because they are too rough and large. Also, they aren’t easy to eat. Shredding them can solve this problem. You can even use the shredded greens in your salads to add new flavors.
Goes Very Well with Baked Foods
People who love baking prefer to experiment a lot. Zucchini bread and carrot cake are the most popular experimentations. These foods have a perfect balance of beauty and taste.
It is mandatory that everything should go perfectly when making these. Before you include the veggies in these dishes, you have to shred them.
Perfectly Works as a Coleslaw Dip
Who doesn’t love coleslaw? Most restaurants serve this item, and customers love to eat it alongside other dishes. It works perfectly as a dip. If you are going to throw a party, you should definitely include it.
Typical coleslaw is a mixture of different shredded vegetables. To add creativity, you should include colorful vegetables. That way, it will taste delicious and look beautiful.
Necessary Precautions to Take While Shredding
Shredding vegetables is not a challenging task if you know the proper tools and techniques. To avoid accidents, you should know some necessary precautions in advance.
Below, you will find all of them.
Precaution 1: Maintain Proper Eye-Contact
When you are shredding, keep a close eye on the tool. As the vegetable gradually gets smaller, if you are not vigilant, you can injure your fingertips. Your skin might get shredded, creating a gruesome situation. Once the vegetable is too small, take a knife and cut the remaining part.
Precaution 2: Protect Yourself
Yes, you have to take care of yourself during the shredding process since you are dealing with sharp objects.
To be on the safer side, wear a glove that can prevent cuts. In this way, you can prevent injuring yourself unintentionally.
Precaution 3: Always Follow the Manufacturer’s Guidelines
If you are in an emergency and don’t have shredding tools don’t worry, you can use the food processor as an alternative. Keep in mind that this process might not provide your desired outcome.
You can use the one that is connected to a shredding blade. For this, you have to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines strictly. The blender may chop the vegetables into uneven pieces. Their sizes will be random, not narrow and long.
Precaution 4: Keep the Kids Busy
When you are shredding, put your kids in a different room and make sure they are out of reach from kitchen tools. Keep them distracted in any way possible, because accidents may happen at any time.
Precaution 5: Cut the Strong Leaves Strategically
Vegetables with strong leaves should be cut with a chef’s knife. The procedure will be easy and quick with that.
Conclusion
This is all you have to know about the process of properly shredding vegetables. Hope you have benefited from this article. Share the information with your loved ones.
If you are still concerned about something, consult a professional chef. ey will clear out your queries, and could provide some helpful advice.
Have a nice day. Best of luck!