Onions, shallots, and garlic
Though not technically roots, these bulbs are vital in so many tasty recipes, and yet, can be the hardest to peel. To successfully peel them, you have to work backward. For an onion, instead of peeling off the skin before cutting in, start by slicing the onion in half through the root.
ANSWER: It is difficult to cut vegetables with a blunt knife because it has more area compared to a sharp knife, which means that the pressure exerted by the blunt knife is less than that of the sharp knife.
Since pressure is inversely proportional to the surface area, a sharp knife having a lesser surface area applies a more significant pressure and makes the cutting of vegetables quickly. Therefore, a blunt knife with a greater surface area applies less pressure and makes cutting vegetables harder.
Hard. This mix of root vegetables, tubers, and winter squashes (including potatoes, turnips, carrots, beets, celery root, and pumpkin) take much longer to become tender.
The sharp end of a knife has very less surface area. We know that Pressure (P)=Area(A)Force(F). So, if the area is less then we can achieve a large pressure by applying some force. This large pressure will help us to cut the vegetables very easily.
Vitamin C is an important nutrient which is easily destroyed by cooking. During cutting of vegetables and fruits some vitamin C is lost. Vitamin C is also lost when vegetables and fruits are washed after cutting and exposing cut vegetables to air for long periods before cooking.
Cutting vegetables on the diagonal exposes more of the vegetable's surface area to the heat. Besides making the vegetable cook more quickly, it also allows it to absorb more of the sauces and seasonings it is cooked with.
It is easy to cut vegetables using a sharp knife.
Germs on the peel or skin can get inside fruits and vegetables when you cut them. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Do not use bleach solutions or other disinfecting products on fruits and vegetables.
If you're a grazer or mindless muncher, you want to make non-starchy vegetables your new best friends. Non-starchy vegetables include cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, salad greens, and zucchini, basically anything that's not a bean, potato, or corn.
Vegetables that belong to the cabbage family such as cauliflower, Brussels, broccoli, and sprouts should never be consumed raw. These vegetables contain sugar that is difficult to digest. Eating these vegetables raw may lead to a number of gastronomical problems.
We also kick-start chemical processes when we cut broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. The enzymes released when we slice these veggies start a reaction that produces compounds that contain sulfur. These sulfur compounds create the pungent, burning sensation you get when you eat some cabbages.
Most Versatile: Chef Knife
It also has a thicker heel than the Santoku knife, making it ideal for the rock chop technique that is so often used for cutting veggies. It's a great choice for mincing vegetables like potatoes and onions, as well as cutting through tougher vegetables like winter squash.
Straight-edged paring knives are perfect for paring, peeling, segmenting and slicing smaller veggies. Quickly making thin slices of cucumber to top your gazpacho or cutting up that apple while on a picnic are just a couple of ideal uses for the paring knife.