I picked up my favorite kitchen hack from an old issue of Cook’s Illustratedmagazine, in the section where reader write in with quirky tips, like using a fork as a lemon juicer or peeling ginger with a teaspoon. I don’t remember which issue it appeared in, but I do know I read it years ago and it has cut prep times for many dishes in half ever since.
It’s very simple: Whenever you have something small and round that you need to cut in half, like grape or cherry tomatoes, new potatoes, grapes, olives, or pearl onions, put the items between two deli container lids, press down, and slide your knife between the lids to do the cutting.
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to cut grapes, cherry tomatoes, and other round things in half:
1. Take two deli container lids (the kind with a lip at the top) and press your ingredients between them.
2. Continue cutting between the lids, gently pressing with your top hand to hold the items in place.
3. When your knife passes through to the other side, you’re done!
Time to start making those summer salads!
Do you have a favorite kitchen hack for how to cut grapes or other small, round edibles?
Amy Traverso
Food Editor Amy Traverso oversees the Yankee Magazine Food department and contributes to NewEngland.com. Amy's book, The Apple Lover's Cookbook (W.W. Norton), won an International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) cookbook award for the category American.