How thin is thin?

SatNavSaysStraightOn

SatNavSaysStraightOn

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One of the things my husband and I can't agree on is the size of vegetables when 'diced', 'sliced', thinly sliced, finely diced, very finely sliced and so on...

He loves big chunky pieces of veg that take 2 or 3 mouthfuls for him, 6 or 7 for me. I hate large chunks of veg. He'd happily reduce a whole head of cauliflower to 8 florets if he could!

So, what is your definition of thinly diced onion or thinly sliced carrot if the recipe doesn't define a size?

Pictures next time you're chopping veg or other are more than welcome.
 
To me...

Diced onions are about 1/4 inch, while finely diced would be about 1/8 inch.

Potatoes for chips/crisps I slide paper thin. For potatoes au gratin, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

I like my broccoli or cauliflower florets on the small end of "bite size."

I only use carrot for pickling (Asian style), and I use a potato peeler to make shoestrings of carrot.

For roasted veggies, like potatoes or broccoli, I just pick a size, and stay with that size. I'd say they average about 1 inch in size, but consistency is more important for even cooking.

CD
 
caseydog said:
Diced onions are about 1/4 inch, while finely diced would be about 1/8 inch.
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So given 25mm is 1 inch, finely diced would be 3mm thick? :eek:

That's chunky cut here! (I'm going with 24mm for an inch for ease of maths.. 8, 16, 24 hence 3mm.) I'd be looking at finer than 1/25th inch for finely sliced onions.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
So given 25mm is 1 inch, finely diced would be 3mm thick? :eek:

That's chunky cut here! (I'm going with 24mm for an inch for ease of maths.. 8, 16, 24 hence 3mm.) I'd be looking at finer than 1/25th inch for finely sliced onions.
Click to expand...

I wrote "diced." Sliced is different. 1/25 of an inch would be "shaved" in my kitchen lingo. I think I'd lose my mind trying to dice onions that small.

CD
 
caseydog said:
I wrote "diced." Sliced is different. 1/25 of an inch would be "shaved" in my kitchen lingo. I think I'd lose my mind trying to dice onions that small.

CD
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Apologies, but for me the thickness would still be the same so I hadn't read it any differently.
The only difference for me between the 2 is that diced has me slicing towards the root first and then slicing as normal. Thickness doesn't change...
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Apologies, but for me the thickness would still be the same so I hadn't read it any differently.
The only difference for me between the 2 is that diced has me slicing towards the root first and then slicing as normal. Thickness doesn't change...
Click to expand...

Your knife skills are clearly better than mine. I can slice an onion very thin... very slowly, and I will mess a few slices up. And don't mention a mandoline. Been there, done that, went to the ER. :facepalm:

CD
 
caseydog said:
Your knife skills are clearly better than mine. I can slice an onion very thin... very slowly, and I will mess a few slices up. And don't mention a mandoline. Been there, done that, went to the ER. :facepalm:

CD
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I was taught numerous times by my Grannie, by school (mandatory coiking skills as well as woodwork and metalwork and needlework! ) and also when i worked in kitchens. You learn fast when you have to prep everything for the day. It didn't come in ready sliced or peeled. Everything was done by hand back them.

But I've lost a few sections of skin over the years as well, though using beggars the knife wasn't sharp enough or I was using a penknife blade that didn't lock. That one caught me out badly in Ireland one time and with no local hospital, it was a case of a local doctor stitching it back up whilst I sat in the chemist. We'd gone there for supplies to try to at least get through until the following day... we're better supplied since then and both hubby and I can now suture if absolutely necessary... (part of our advanced medical training for when we went off trying to... you know the tail. We were both trained expedition medics, so qualified to do certain stuff that isn't coveted in normal first aid courses, but then it wasn't a normal first aid course taking 5 full days and including drawing blood from syringe target than by knife (!) from each other!)...
 
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