Chopping nuts; avoiding the dust

[snowangel]

So, let's face it, nuts aren't cheap. How do you chop them up into little bits without having what seems like half of the package turn into dust, or those little bits that seem to settle on the kitchen floor (which necessitates a mopping )? I hate to waste and I hate to clean.

[theabroma]

So, let's face it, nuts aren't cheap.  How do you chop them up into little bits without having what seems like half of the package turn into dust, or those little bits that seem to settle on the kitchen floor (which necessitates a mopping  )?  I hate to waste and I hate to clean.

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Depending on the type of nut (ie: how hard it is) put some in a heavy duty zippable baggie, and zip it 4/5ths closed. Add enough nuts to make one loose layer when the closed baggie is put flat on a hard surface, table, cutting board, etc. You can then roll over the nuts with a rolling pin, or if you have a French dowel-type pin, bash them lightly with the end of the pin, or you can use a meat pounder. You can crack the nuts to the desired size pieces. If you need more, empty the bag into a bowl, and refill it and repeat.

Use a heavy duty bag, or double bag it. When you are finished, just throw the bag away. Unless you rupture it with too -vigorous pounding, clean-up is non existent.

Alternatively, freeze the nuts and pulse them in small quantities in the food processor. But then you have to clean the fp bowl!!

Regards,

Theabroma

[Lisa Shock]

My husband uses a nut chopper that has a hand-crank and deposits everything into a glass jar underneath, all very clean. I use a pie dough cutter inside of a sturdy bowl. Either way, we have the nuts in a container that we can then dole them out from.

[baroness]

This gadget earns its kitchen real estate for me: Nut Chopper.