Friday, May 14, 2010

things I used to peel but don't anymore and things I can't believe people don't peel

Things I used to peel but don't anymore:
  • carrots- Thanks to chef and cook-book author-extraordinaire, Brenda Langton of Spoonriver who looked at me funny when I mentioned , "I taught a cooking class for my diabetic patients, and most had never chopped an onion or peeled a carrot."
"You don't have to peel carrots, especially if they are organic," she said. Liberated!
I was googling a picture of "carrots" to go with this post, and "Carrot-top" (for my overseas friends, a not very funny comedian from the 1980's) popped up. Enjoy the flashback!
  • mushrooms: don't ask me why, my mom did it when I was growing up, so I thought that's what you did...
  • asparagus: again, thanks mom...
Things I can't believe people don't peel (OK, I could only come up with one, it's Friday, folks!)
  • kiwis

What do you peel or don't peel?

11 comments:

  1. I love unpeeled Kiwis! The fuzzy skin is so fun :)

    I don't peel cucumbers... in fact, I'll just eat them whole like apples (I do this with kiwis too). The only time I'd ever peel a cucumber would be if I'm making some fancy striped cucumber slices for a party tray or something. That is rare though.

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  2. Yay!! No more guilt! I stopped peeling carrots a few months ago. I realized that the thought of peeling carrots was keeping me from using anything but baby carrots. Now I'm scrubbing, cooking with and enjoying carrots much more. My mom, by the way, washes and peels baby carrots before eating them!

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  3. Ah, yes, cucumbers! I used to peel, sometimes do, sometimes don't. Depends too on the peel thickness. Thanks! Weird, fuzzy kiwi! I also don't like peaches because of the fuzz, so at least I'm consistent there...

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  4. Enjoy Susan! I know! Love me some carrots. It also helps for our kiddo who loves carrots. She often has one as an "appetizer" and now she can get if from the fridge, pull up her stool and wash it and eat it herself. She feel very grown up...

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  5. My kids like kiwis better with the skin on but I only let 'em eat them that way if they're organic and organic kiwis are hard to find lately. Rats.

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  6. I peel non-organic cucumbers because I HATE that waxy stuff they put on them. Other than that, our peeler is kind of lonely!

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  7. Peel: American Cucumbers (or you get the burps)
    Don't peel: English Cucumbers, gorgeous!
    How do you eat a non-peeled kiwi?
    My husband always peels asparagus, but I never do. I never peel carrots either.

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  8. My mom scoops out the seeds, says less burps. We saw an older Hmong woman (we assumed, living in St. Paul, many of the families who bring their produce to the farmer's market are Hmong,)eat ONLY the seeds from a cucumber and toss the rest in the garbage. Who knows! Maybe this deserves it's own post!

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  9. I hate the fuzz on peaches, so MUST peel them. I also don't like the texture of peels on carrots, so peel them also.

    I like the peel on baked potato, however - I know a lot of people just eat out the white part and don't eat the peel, but I prefer it with peel. The peel on boiled potatoes, however, can be squeaky, so I tend to like my boiled potatoes skinless.

    I prefer my cucumbers striped or peeled.

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  10. Like Heidi, my roommate absolutely refuses to eat peaches unless they've been peeled and sliced.

    I have never peeled a peach in my life. I don't even peel Kiwi, I just cut them in half and scoop out the green goodness inside. I don't EAT the peel, so I guess that counts, but I never even considered not eating the peel of a peach.

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  11. I don't peel most things. Sometimes, I'll peel stripes on a cucumber, especially if it will be sliced.
    When we make mashed potatoes, we cook them in the skins and then let them cool a bit and peel them before mashing. This leaves a big pile of potato skins that I eat with earth balance margarine and a little salt and pepper. The rest of the potatoes are mixed with earth balance and salt only, 'cause that's how my daughter likes them.

    My little girl doesn't eat apple skins, but she does prefer to eat the slices with the skins still on, she just leaves behind little apple "smiles" which we sometimes eat (I know, germs!) or toss but I think this way, she may someday eat the peel too.

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