8 Clever Veggie Preparation Shortcuts

    Never chop your fingers off while cutting a squash again!

    by
    Melissa Boyajian
    by Melissa Boyajian

    BuzzFeed Motion Pictures Fellow

    ,
    Bry Duca
    by Bry Duca

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Cutting veggies can be way more convenient than you think! These easy preparation hacks will be a life-saver for cooking healthy at home.

    Did you know you can shake corn right out of its husk?!

    1. Cut 1 inch off the bottom end of the corn.

    2. Microwave for 2 minutes.

    3. Holding the corn with an oven mit, shake and squeeze the corn out of the husk.

    You don't have to waste any bell pepper with this easy cutting technique.

    1. Cut the stalk off of the pepper.

    2. Tip the pepper upside down on the stem end.

    3. Cutting downward, cut the sides of the pepper off avoiding the seeds.

    4. Discard the seeds.

    5. Cut the pepper as desired.

    Get that PERFECT diced onion with this easy trick!

    1. With a chef’s knife, cut off the top end of the onion.

    2. Place the onion upside down with the root end pointing up. Cut the onion in half straight through the root.

    3. Remove the onion skin.

    4. Lay onion halves down on their flat sides.

    5. Make 2 horizontal cuts making sure to not cut through the root end.

    6. Then make 6–8 cuts downward making sure to leave the root intact.

    7. Next, with the knife blade running parallel to the root end, make several cuts downward dicing the onion.

    8. Discard the root end.

    Cutting chives has literally NEVER been so easy!

    1. Place a rubber band tightly around the chives closer toward the bottom of the chives.

    2. With a chef’s knife, finely slice the chives until reaching the rubber band.

    3. Discard the ends.

    Slice up some perfect Swiss chard ribbons by making a chard roll-up!

    1. Place the chard leaves on top of each other.

    2. With a chef’s knife, slice the chard stems until reaching the leaves.

    3. Roll the leaves up.

    4. Finely slice the leaves perpendicular to the roll.

    You'll never lose any fingers with this EASY squash-cutting tip! Just microwave for 4 minutes and keep all your limbs!

    1. With a paring knife cut several holes into the squash.

    2. Microwave for 4 minutes. Let cool slightly.

    3. With a chef’s knife cut off both ends of the squash.

    4. Peel the skin off of the squash.

    5. Lay squash down on its side. Cut it in half a little above the bulbous part of the squash containing the seeds.

    6. Cut both halves in half again.

    7. Clean out the seeds with a large metal spoon and either discard or roast the seeds.

    8. Dice the squash into large chunks.

    Your hands won't turn red with this easy way to peel a beet!

    1. With a chef’s knife, cut off both ends of the beet.

    2. Roast beet as desired.

    3. While the beet is still warm, rub off the skin with a paper towel.

    Peel garlic in no time at all by shaking it between two bowls!

    1. Take garlic bulb in hand and smash it several times on the cutting board. Be careful of your fingers!

    2. Place the garlic bulb in a small bowl and place another bowl of the same size upside down on top of the first bowl. (Metal bowls or glass bowls work better than plastic.)

    3. Vigorously shake the bowls. (If using metal bowls you will hear the sound of the garlic banging on the bowl change from dull to sharp when most of the cloves have loosened.)

    4. Discard the garlic skins and stem.