Measure twice, cut once. Perhaps a good idea with wood but I`m not sure it applies to the person who has to cut 300 stalks of Asparagus and fit them into the jar.
I`ve walked the line between struggle and success on this one for years. I used to hold a few up to the jar before every cut – accurate but time-consuming. Using previously cut piece worked for a while until I invariably cut it without noticing or it fell into the pile of complete ones and I wasn`t sure which was the right one.
My favourite technique was guessing – this wasn`t particularilly effective as my eyes are always bigger than my stomach (or the jar in this case).
So a final cheat that works for me (and might horrify some):
I now have a pickling cutting board. It cost me less than $20 (about $18 for the board and $1 for the marker) and has saved me a pile of time and frustration. The marks are on the side and don`t actually contact my food – you could also use a saw to notch it if you didn`t want to use marker.
This may seem like a tiny little thing – and I suppose it is – but it`s one that I adore so I thought I`d share.
Here’s how I do it…cut one to the right length, and then use it as my guide for the rest.
i like Cynthia’s idea..haha. i didn’t know you WROTE on our cutting board!!