What types of cooking By Lori Mork
The last couple of times that my grandchildren have visited, they’ve been set on helping me in the kitchen. I love having them work with me preparing the food, setting the table and “taking food orders” from their parents. The one thing that made me nervous was their desire to help me cut up foods. The idea of giving children under the age of 10 a knife seemed like a dangerous idea, but we came up with a suitable solution at the time – butter knives with slightly serrated edges. They aren’t overly sharp, but still were good for cutting peeled cucumbers and softer vegetables like bell peppers and snap peas. My granddaughter Brielle, 9, was able to do a good job of slicing onions with a mandolin (carefully!) and prepping cucumbers with the vegetable peeler. Her brother Miles, 5, chopped cucumbers into chunks, although as many went in his mouth as in the serving bowl. They both were able to man the apple peeler with no problems last fall and were able to roll out crust when we baked apple pies. After struggling through the vegetable cutting, I decided to be prepared for their next visit and did some research on what types of knives the two could use for their ages.
24 Chicz July/August 2021
knives can kids use safely?
I found that companies that make kitchen utensils have done some work to make tools the right size for small hands.
PLASTIC/NYLON SERRATED KNIFE One of the first knives that have been recommended for children younger than 10 is a heavier plastic or nylon serrated knife, or even a serrated cake knife. These knives are able to cut through bread, cheese, soft fruits and vegetables, and are relatively safe for little hands. SAFETY KITCHEN KNIFE As your children get older, you can begin to let them use a safety kitchen knife. These tools have metal blades, but have a blunted flat edge and a rounded tip, and are good for the majority of fruits and vegetables. You’ll still have to keep an eye on the action because these knives can still cause cuts. SMALL SANTOKU KNIFE Children ages 6-10 can graduate to a smaller knife with a sharp edge, such as a small santoku with a sheath. A santoku knife is a Japanese-style knife that has a flat cutting edge and a handle that is in line with the top edge, leaving plenty of clearance between the handle and the cutting board. It also has a rounded curve at the end rather than a sharp point. Don’t settle for a paring knife. Despite its small size, it doesn’t have enought clearance between
the handle and cutting board to be safe for small hands. CUT-RESISTANT GLOVES Finally, if you’re still a little nervous about allowing children to use sharp knives, you can add a pair of kid’s cut-resistant gloves, which are designed to help protect small hands from cuts. These gloves are especially nice if your child is using a grater or a mandolin slicer. These gloves are made of a high performance glass fiber with a tight knit and fit snugly on hands to prevent slipping. They come in several different colors that will make all children happy. I may even look for a pair for myself.
