18 Surprising Things You Can Do With A Food Grater

The food / cheese grater. One of those trusty little gadgets where no kitchen would be complete without one.

We won't insult your intelligence by talking about the standard uses. I'm sure you're well aware that a food grater is fantastic at zesting citrus fruits, grating cheese, grating nutmeg, cinnamon and garlic, and shredding veggies for salad (doh, who doesn't know this?)

For just these uses alone, your food grater is an invaluable tool. But once you've had a read of some of these 'alternative' uses, you'll honestly look at your humble food grater in a different light, and you may even feel a little bad that it's been an absolute 'unsung hero' in your kitchen!

Needing 'soft' butter fast: You're about to whip up a gorgeous cake and then you realize you haven't taken your butter out of the fridge to soften. Panic! Don't worry, get your food grater out and grate hard butter right into your mixing bowl. Soft butter in an instant!
Homemade breadcrumbs: Cooking a recipe that asks for breadcrumbs, but no shop-bought crumbs to hand? Simply toast a slice of bread and grate away!
Making ginger last longer: Grating ginger is no big news, but did you know, you can freeze ginger and then grate it from frozen? In fact, never let it thaw, as it will become soft and difficult to grate. Ginger kept in the fridge can shrivel up within days. In the freezer, it can last several weeks.
Make your cakes look as great as from the bakery: Yes, a cake is really about how it tastes. But bakeries wouldn't go to so much trouble adding chocolate curls, sprinkles etc if appearances didn't matter! Give your cakes the same makeover, and use your food grater to add curls or shavings.
Make homemade tomato sauce: Tomatoes are difficult to skin, Just halve a tomato and grate, skin on, and you'll find the pulp pops out and the skin is left in your hands! Use to make a sauce, or salsa
Lemongrass that doesn't overpower: This Asian herb is widely used, and most recipes ask for it to be chopped. Instead, grate it into curries and stir fries and you'll get lemongrass that marries with the rest of the ingredients, instead of overpowering it.

Quick onions: Onions are a real staple, but chopping them can be a bore. Make quick work of an onion and simply grate it into a dish. We do warn you, grating releases more of the sulfuric compounds which irritate your eyes. So wear goggles (or grate fast and then run out of the kitchen for a few minutes!)
Make fresh coconut shavings: You'll never use stale ready-made versions when you realize how easy it is to take a slice of coconut flesh and grate it into the mixing bowl for baked goods, or on top of desserts

Making lemons last longer: Zesting a lemon is a given, but did you know, you can zest a frozen lemon (or lime)? Freezing lemons / limes means they keep for much longer. Once you've zested one, you can even grate the 'flesh' and add it to rice, ice cream, salads etc.
Ice cream without the calories: Frozen banana is a great alternative to ice cream, and just as delicious! Freeze some bananas, and then grate (from frozen) into bowls. Add chocolate sauce, or whatever you like!

Getting rid of 'burn' evidence: We've all accidentally burnt the tops of cookies or muffins. Yes, you can slice of the burnt portions with a knife, but you usually end up slicing of the good parts too. Instead, just grate the blackened bits off!

As a weapon: Just kidding. We just wanted to make sure you were paying attention!

Add BBQ some flavor, without the grill: This is a brilliant little tip. Love the burnt, smoky wood flavors you get from the BBQ grill? Recreate this by grating a little charcoal and mixing it with salt, and then sprinkle this over your food. BBQ taste without the BBQ!

Make homemade horseradish sauce: Grate 6-8 piece of horseradish and mix in a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of water. You'll never want the shop-bought stuff again!

Eggs for salad: Most people chop eggs into quarters or slivers for salads. But the taste of eggs don't really marry with the rest of the salad ingredients this way. Instead, grate your hard boiled eggs and allow the taste to permeate right through your salad.

Recycle soap: Yes, your food grater isn't just for the kitchen! When a few soap bars become annoyingly small and difficult to handle, grate them directly into a saucepan and melt on the stove. Pour into a mold. You've just created a new soap!

Make cauliflower rice: Grate the head of a cauliflower and boil to make 'alternative' rice, or even a pizza crust, (just make sure you squeeze out the moisture well with a kitchen towel, if making a crust).

An alternative to ice for cocktails: You're guests will be copying you after they see your trick! Instead of using crushed ice in cocktails, grate some frozen fruits. Much more flavorsome (and colorful) than boring ice!

Do you have an unusual use for your food grater that’s not on the list? Tell us! How do YOU use your Chef Remi Food Grater??