Stock Pot vs Maslin Pan

[WrexTheDragon]

I got one of thoser Borner V Slicers from the Cheshire Show a few years ago, and they are great.

[vikkib]

I got one of thoser Borner V Slicers from the Cheshire Show a few years ago, and they are great.

I got a very cheap v slicer a while ago and after failing to slice anything at all it just fell apart so I thought I'd go for something a bit powsher this time!

Can't wait to get it!

[vikkib]

Wow... just have to say the maslin pan is amazing!

I just made another batch of chutney and there was absolutely no catching on the bottom of the pan... it still looks just as shiny as it did when I started!

I risked leaving the chutney simmering for 10 whole minutes between stirs and no problems at all!

I'm planning on doing a second batch tomorrow and will risk stretching it to 15 minutes between stirs... will see how that goes.

[bluemoon]

This is probably a really stupid question, but will a mandoline slice beans length-ways? My food-processor won't do it, leaving me slicing pounds of them for the freezer with a paring knife, which is probably not the best tool for the job, but when slicing beans I find I have to hold the knife like a pen (please don't tell my mum). I know I could chop them across the width, but I just don't enjoy them as much when they're done like that.

[vikkib]

This is probably a really stupid question, but will a mandoline slice beans length-ways? My food-processor won't do it, leaving me slicing pounds of them for the freezer with a paring knife, which is probably not the best tool for the job, but when slicing beans I find I have to hold the knife like a pen (please don't tell my mum). I know I could chop them across the width, but I just don't enjoy them as much when they're done like that.

Hmmm...

The one I got comes with blades so that you can julienne veg as well as slice but I'm not sure about how well it would cope with beans.

Are we talking runners? If so I can pop out a pick a few and see for you!

[bluemoon]

Runners and French, Vicki. It's how my mum and gran always prepared them, but it's fiddly and obviously hails from a time when the women in our family had nothing better to do.

[vikkib]

I tried slicing a few runners yesterday but without much success!

I trimmed them down so they would fit into the carrier bit, lined them up so they were perpendicular to the blade and standing on their edges.

I got a few slices of bean but they shifted around a bit too much and ended up slipping out under the carrier bit.

If you know someone who has got one that you could borrow it might be worth having a play around as I'm sure with the right technique you could save yourself many a bean paring hour!

Unfortunately Yorkshire is a wee bit of a trek from where I am otherwise I'd offer to drop mine round for you to try!