# How to chop nuts - aka Baklava w/less prep **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254 "2004-11-11T19:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peligro\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Peligro\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peligro_1)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/1 "2004-11-11T19:36:50Z")
Hi Folks, So, the 2nd anniversary of my first date with the boyfriend is coming up on Monday (feel free to mentally insert vomit smiley here šŸ˜ƒ ). His favorite food is baklava (and I donā€™t mind it myself) so I am going to make up a batch. The last time I made this, I spend 90 minutes chopping nuts b4 the boyf got annoyed at watching me and finished the last 2/3rds of them (he used to be a chef, and thus is good at speed chopping) The rest of the construction and baking of the baklava takes no where near this long (except for the cooling) and is actually kind of fun. So, for all you dopers out there - is there a good technique for chopping nuts that wonā€™t make my arms want to fall off? I have most standard kitchen equipment (except for a microwave (which shouldnā€™t help this), and a food processor (which [this](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/109545) recipe says is evil for baklava anyways)). I will greatly appreciate any and all ideas! -Peligro (p.s. this is my first new threadā€¦please be gentle!) (p.p.s. I am currently too poor to register, and therefore cannot search, if there is another thread discussing this, please just point me in that direction!) ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/2 "2004-11-11T19:40:21Z")
Put them in the food processor. It works fine when Iā€™ve made baklava, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/3 "2004-11-11T19:41:56Z")
Oops, see you donā€™t have one. Well, a blender if you use small batches and pulse the blender might work. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/4 "2004-11-11T19:57:24Z")
Buy a [nut chopper](http://www.lehmans.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=2621)? (You should be able to find one at the grocery store, Wal-Mart, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Peligro\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Peligro\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peligro_1)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/5 "2004-11-11T20:07:51Z")
:smack: :smack: I knew that someone out there must have come up with something - thanks **Scarlet67**. **Gaudere** , if I come up short on the nut chopper, Iā€™ll try blending - even with 1/4 cup batches, it will be faster than chopping by hand. Thanks! -Peligro ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/6 "2004-11-11T20:20:53Z")
Why donā€™t you ask your sweetie-kins to teach you speed-chopping? Any couple can benefit from a new activity to share. ---
**Author:** ![Peligro\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Peligro\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peligro_1)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/7 "2004-11-11T20:28:31Z")
**kaylasdad99** , Heā€™s tried before, but I have a distrust of sharp knives (so I tend to go slowly) - might have something to do with slicing off a piece of my knuckle last time I was in too much of a hurry to make a salad. ā˜¹ (sorry if that was TMI) ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/8 "2004-11-11T20:34:13Z")
Maybe Iā€™m missing the point, and this is supposed to be a labor of love; maybe youā€™ve considered this and have discarded this solution because theyā€™re inferior; but you can buy nuts _that are already chopped_ at most grocery stores. If those arenā€™t chopped finely enough for you, you could smash them into itsy-bitsy walnut powder with the back of a spoon on a cutting board. Sure, youā€™d have to do the bits individually, but the sense of accomplishment will be well worth it! šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/9 "2004-11-11T20:42:26Z")
> [@Jurph](#): > > If those arenā€™t chopped finely enough for you, you could smash them into itsy-bitsy walnut powder with the back of a spoon on a cutting board. Put 'em in a plastic bag beforehand, and they donā€™t get all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/10 "2004-11-11T22:05:07Z")
> [@Peligro](#): > > **kaylasdad99** , > > Heā€™s tried before, but I have a distrust of sharp knives (so I tend to go slowly) - might have something to do with slicing off a piece of my knuckle last time I was in too much of a hurry to make a salad. ā˜¹ > > (sorry if that was TMI) Not at all. I still bear the scar from the time I lost a knife fight with a dead chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/11 "2004-11-11T22:22:14Z")
Maybe you could put the nuts in a plastic bag and crush them with a hammer? The result probably wouldnā€™t be exactly the same as chopping, though. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/12 "2004-11-12T00:46:00Z")
If not the blender, you can try thisā€¦I use it when I get impatient. Put the nuts in a baggie. Take a standard unopened soup or veggies can and use the fairly-sharp bottom edge to chop the nuts in the bag. Itā€™s just sharp enough to chop 'em up, but not sharp enough to cut through the bag (if youā€™re careful, at least). Worked for me the last time I made cookies. Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/13 "2004-11-12T01:00:26Z")
The way I do it is to put them in a doubled plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin. I also have a meat pounder that is round, 4" around with a short handle, I use that for spot pounding of pieces that escaped the pin. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/14 "2004-11-12T02:14:52Z")
> [@Jurph](#): > > but you can buy nuts _that are already chopped_ at most grocery stores. Iā€™m with you. Generally, I think the chopped ones are less expensive too. ---
**Author:** ![Cherry2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cherry2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherry2000)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/15 "2004-11-12T04:28:58Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > The way I do it is to put them in a doubled plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin. I also have a meat pounder that is round, 4" around with a short handle, I use that for spot pounding of pieces that escaped the pin. I second the above-mentioned rolling pin technique. Works like a charm šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Peligro\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Peligro\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peligro_1)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-chop-nuts-aka-baklava-w-less-prep/274254/16 "2004-11-15T13:59:51Z")
Hi, Iā€™m bumping this to say thanks to all for the great advice. I came up short at the one kitchen store I had time to hit this weekend (though, I did manage to spend $80 on other things ā€“ those stores are dangerous) so I ended up using the ziploc bag + rolling pin and meat tenderizer method. It worked like a charm, except next time I will do it in smaller batches, instead of trying to be ā€œefficientā€ and putting all the nuts in one bag together. Also, Iā€™ll do the almonds separately as they seem to be harder or something and stubbornly remained whole while the walnuts and pecans crumbled to dust. If thereā€™s interest, Iā€™ll stop back tommorow and let you know how the final result turned out - it was ready this morning, but I resisted the urge to try some before my boyfriend got a piece ā˜¹