Shredding Fruits and Vegetables

To slice cooked meat and poultry

In general, the food must be very cold. If possible, use a single chunk of food just large enough to fit the feed tube. To make julienne strips of ham, bologna or luncheon meat, stack slices of them. Then roll them or fold them double and stand them upright in the feed tube, wedging in as many rolls as possible. This technique works better with square or rectangular pieces than with round ones.

To slice uncooked meat and poultry

Cut the food into pieces to fit the feed tube. Boned, skinned chicken breast halves will usually fit when cut in half cross- wise. Wrap the pieces in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. They are ready to slice when they pass the “knife test"

–that is, they are semi-frozen – hard to the touch, but easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Stand them in the feed tube cut side down and slice them against the grain, using firm pressure on the pusher. Or lay them flat in the feed tube, piling up as many as will fit, and slice them with the grain, using firm pressure.

To slice sausage

Freeze the sausage until it is hard to the touch, but can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. If a single sausage does not fit snugly in the feed tube, cut it into pieces to fit the small or the large feed tube. Process, using firm pressure.

To slice salami and other hard sausage

If the sausage is thin enough so one or two of them will fit in the small feed tube, use that tube. Or cut the sausage into enough pieces to fit the large feed tube completely. Stand the pieces vertically, packing them in tightly so they cannot tilt sideways as they are sliced.

THE SHREDDING DISC

To shred round fruits and vegetables

Before processing apples, potatoes, onions and other round food, trim with a knife. Cut one end flat, to make food lie stable on the shredding disc.

Place the food in the pusher, one flat side down. Position it in the tube as far left as possible, to prevent it from tilting. Make sure the small pusher is locked and the slide lock on the sleeve is unlocked. Slide the pusher assembly over the feed tube and push the sleeve down to lock it into place. Apply pressure to the pusher while pressing the PULSE/OFF lever until the food is sliced.

To shred long vegetables

Trim carrots, zucchini and other long vegetables into the long-est lengths that will fit the feed tube when laid in horizontally (about 4 inches, 10 cm). Stack the pieces to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the top of the feed tube.

Apply medium to firm pressure on the pusher – depending on the texture of the food – while pressing the PULSE/OFF lever until the food is shredded. Do not overload work bowl, or shredded food may force disc upward. Never force pusher when shredding food.

To shred cabbage for coleslaw

Prepare in wedges. Place a wedge in the feed tube vertically. Apply medium pressure to the pusher and press the PULSE/ OFF lever until the cabbage is shredded. For longer shreds, prepare the same way, but process with one of the optional thin slicing discs.

To shred hard cheese like Parmesan

The cheese must be at room temperature. If a sharp knife cannot easily pierce the cheese, do not try to shred it; it may damage the shredding disc. Cut the cheese into pieces to fit the feed tube and process with light pressure on the pusher.

Never force the pusher. Press down on the PULSE/OFF lever and hold it down until the cheese is shredded, releasing pres- sure on the pusher momentarily if the motor slows.

To slice firm cheese like Swiss and cheddar

Cut the cheese into pieces to fit the feed tube. Put cheese in the freezer until it is semi-frozen – hard to the touch but easily pierced through with the tip of a sharp knife. Stand the pieces in the feed tube and apply light pressure to the pusher while pressing the PULSE/OFF lever until they are sliced.