How To: Sharpen Your Knives {Plus…Freeze Those Summer Favorites!}

Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Smith’s. All opinions are my own.

Stay safe in the kitchen: keep those knives sharp! Here’s a great sharpener under $10 and I’ll show you how to use it!

Anyone who cooks regularly knows how important safety is. The first way to stay safe in the kitchen is to have sharp knives. I know, that seems strange because you can really hurt yourself with a knife cut–but those cuts usually happen with DULL knives. When you have to saw back and forth to get through something, or use extra pressure, things can go awry.

A knife sharpener is quite easy to use if you know how to! Be sure to check out this video for step-by-step tips.

If you’ve never sharpened your knives or they’re super dull, I highly recommend Smith’s 2-Stage Pull Thru Sharpener.  It has a fine and coarse pull-through area. First you pass the knife through the coarse area, then finish it on the fine slot. This can easily be stored in a drawer and you can use it monthly! I tend to sharpen my larger knives more, but a general rule of thumb is once a month.

Another option is the Single-Stage Sharpener, which is under $5! While owning both isn’t necessary, it’s super handy to have an extra sharpener–I actually travel with mine! My mom has some pretty dull knives and I find myself cooking at my parent’s house for holidays frequently. I can actually chop something after a quick sharpening!

Now that you know all about sharp knives, let’s learn how to use those to chop some delish summer produce. Take advantage of super cheap prices right now and freeze your favorites!

This is year 5 of trying to garden and I’m starting to think it’s just not my forte. I feel like screaming “whyyyyy won’t you grow!?” to my plants while I’m lovingly watering them. Why are they so stubborn?

I am fortunate to have so many great stores offering cheap produce right now, so I can eat away my sorrows in fresh Michigan blueberries. We have so many awesome crops popping up in this area: peaches, zucchini, peppers, corn, berries and more. I love to stock up my freezer to savor the summer all year long.

When you’re on a budget, freezing items can save you tons of money. Every time one of our favorite products goes on sale (like bread, bagels, meat, etc), I get enough to last us the rest of the month. Markdown meat is always frozen in recipe sized portions also–don’t be afraid of those red/orange clearance stickers!

The biggest key to freezing anything is to make sure it’s frozen individually for better storage. No one wants a huge clump of blueberries! By placing the clean items on a cookie sheet, you can ensure that they’re freezing for better storage. Yes, it’s an extra step, but it’s worth it!

After washing and drying your produce, simply place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and sprinkle in a single layer to freeze. This ensures everything stays separate and not in one huge clump. With corn on the cob, you are going to want to steam it for 2-3 minutes before cutting to freeze. I make a double batch when we have corn for dinner, then just freeze half to save time!

Once everything is frozen, you can transfer it to a zip top bag! Voila! So easy!

Do you have a knife sharpener? What’s your summer favorite you like to freeze?