This is a complete guide to using your Brieftons QuickFold Spiralizer. It will help you use the product correctly. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it looks, as you will soon find out!
If you only have 2 minutes, you can get started quickly now with the How to Use section, or watch the demo video.
For answers to other questions that you might have, please check out the rest of the guide.
Quick Links:
Full Demo Video
Components
Blades
How to Change Blades
How to Get the Spiralizer Ready for Use
How to Spiralize
Examples of How to Spiralize Particular Vegetables/Fruits
How to Clean the Spiralizer
How to Store the Spiralizer
For Left-Handed People
Correct Counter Height and Posture
Tips
What Vegetables and Fruits Work with the Spiralizer?
What Vegetables and Fruits Don’t Work with the Spiralizer?
What Dishes Can You Make With The Spiralizer
Cooking and Storing Spiralized Vegetables
Recipes to Get You Started
Full Demo Video
The best way to get up to speed quickly with your spiralizer is to watch the demo video below:
Components
This image shows all the components of your Brieftons QuickFold Spiralizer:
Brieftons QuickFold Spiralizer’s Components
Blades
Your spiralizer comes with 5 blade inserts. Out of the box, there is 1 blade insert pre-installed in the blade rack, and 4 blades stored in the blade storage caddy.
How to Change Blades
This sequence shows how to change/remove the blades:
How to Get the Spiralizer Ready for Use
How to Spiralize
Follow these steps to spiralize vegetables with the spiralizer:
Examples of How to Spiralize Particular Vegetables/Fruits
Most vegetables can be spiralized the same way. However, please follow the following suggestions if you are spiralizing any of the below-mentioned vegetables/fruits…
Apple
Cut off the top, cut off the bottom, and stick the middle part, which is the core of the apple, right on the round steel spindle of the spiralizer. The apple core will be gone in no time. Spiralized apples are great for use in salads, savory dishes and desserts. Spiralized apple will turn brown really quickly so it’s best to use them immediately or dress them with lemon juice.
Artichokes
Large artichokes work best. It’s not necessary to peel them. If you are not using the spiralized artichokes immediately, it’s best to place them in a bowl of water with some lemon juice to prevent them from discoloring.
Beetroot
There’s no need to peel fresh beetroot. Just wash the skin, flatten the ends and spiralize whole. They can be had raw in salads or baked into tasty beetroot crisps.
Bell Pepper
Bell peppers are a little trickier. It’s best to cut off the top and place the open end on the edge of the flat blade, and attach the bottom side to the handle, before spiralizing it.
Broccoli
Don’t throw away broccoli stems, as they can spiralize really well using the smaller blade sizes. For best results, stir fry or steam the spiralized broccoli stems.
Butternut Squash
To avoid the seeds, you should only use the non-bulbous end of the squash. Cut any really long strands of spiralized squash into smaller pieces using scissors, as that will make the spiralized squash easier to eat.
Cabbage
Cabbage is already in layers by nature, so make sure to use the flat blade. Spiralize as usual and you will have shredded cabbage (coleslaw) in no time.
Carrots
Choose large carrots for spiralizing for best results. Eat spiralized carrots raw in salads, or steam carrot ribbons to create a delicious accompaniment.
Celeriac
Use a sharp knife to remove the knobbly bits from the celeriac, peel it, then cut it in half, and trim to create 2 flat ends. Spiralized celeriac works well in gratins, soups and remoulade.
Cucumber
Cucumbers are easy to spiralize, however there’s one issue: the juice. Just spiralize it as usual, then let it sit for a while so that the juice can drain out. Or you can pat the spirals or ribbons dry with a piece of paper towel. Cucumbers make beautiful ribbons for use in salads.
Onions
Onions are already in layers by nature, so make sure to use the flat blade. Spiralize as usual and you will have piles and piles of thinly sliced onion rings in no time. You can use spiralized onions to replace chopped ones in recipes, or turn them into onion bhajis and crispy onion spirals.
Parsnips
Choose large fat parsnips for best results. Add them to a rosti or make parsnip crisps.
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Prepare potatoes or sweet potatoes by peeling them, trim the 2 ends and cut in half widthways if they are very large. Sweet potatoes are great for adding colors to any dish.
Swedes
Peel off the skin, then cut into large chunks with flat ends to attach to the spiralizer. They can be used in fritters or mixed with potatoes as a topping.
Zucchini
Spiralized zucchinis make perfect zoodles. It’s easiest to cut the zucchini in half first before spiralizing it. They can be eaten raw or very lightly steamed, boiled or stir fried.
How to Clean the Spiralizer
Here are some simple things to do to keep you spiralizer clean and in a tip-top condition.
General Cleaning Tips
- Use a cleaning brush to remove vegetable debris from the blades and vegetable holder’s spikes.
- Wash the spiralizer under running tap water. Use a mild detergent if necessary.
- Hand washing is recommended to prolong the life of the product.
- If washed in a dishwasher, use the top rack only, as hot water can warp the suction pad and prevent it from working correctly.
Preventing Stains
Unfortunately stains from vegetables such as carrots/beets are a relatively common issue with plastic products of this nature. Sometimes carrots/beets may leave stains on the spiralizer’s plastic. The best thing to do is to prevent it from happening in the first place, as follows:
- Spray some vegetable oil on the plastic (where the plastic may come into contact with the vegetable). This will make it much harder for carrots/beets to stain the plastic.
How to Remove Stains
When stains happen, please try one of the 2 methods below to remove the stains:
- The easier method: Use baking soda to clean the stain.
- The most effective method: Mix a paste of baking soda and dish soap, scrub it on the stain, let it sit for 20 minutes, scrub it again, and rinse it thoroughly. Repeat as necessary until the stain is removed.
How to Store the Spiralizer
The spiralizer should be small enough to be left on a counter, or in a cupboard, for easy access when you need it.
However, if space is an issue, you can always fold it in half to make it more compact, as shown below…
How to Store
For Left-Handed People
If you are left handed, fear not! You can still use the spiralizer to achieve equally great results.
This video shows how to do that with a different Brieftons spiralizer, however the concept is the same:
Correct Counter Height and Posture
When using the spiralizer, make sure that you place it at the correct counter height, as that will allow you to have the correct posture to operate the spiralizer effectively without having to exert too much physical strength.
You will know that you have the correct posture when:
- The spiralizer’s turning handle, in its resting state, is at about the same height as the top of your thigh.
- The turning handle does not rise above your elbow at any point while you turn it to operate the spiralizer.
If your counter is too high, you may want to stand on a stable stool/chair to achieve the correct posture.
Tips
For best results when using the Brieftons QuickFold Spiralizer, please:
- Choose thick, firm and straight vegetables. Produce selection is paramount for the machine to work correctly.
- It is important to purchase FIRM (not soft) zucchini, and not “jumbo” ones that tend to have a lot of seeds. If purchasing cucumbers, FIRM English Cucumbers work best. You want to purchase produce that is shaped like a log and straight (not curved).
- Place the vegetable straight in the middle of the vegetable holder, making sure it does not lean heavily toward any particular side.
- Apply a consistent forward pressure to the turning handle while rotating it, which will ensure the vegetable will come into constant contact with the blade.
- For vegetables with a skin, peeling the skin off will make it easier to spiralize them.
- For harder vegetables, pre-boiling them first will make it easier to spiralize them.
- If the suction pad doesn’t stick as well as expected, try taking a warm washcloth to the black rubber seal of the suction pad to soften and reshape it, and it should work fine again.
What Vegetables and Fruits Work with the Spiralizer?
- Produce that is thick, firm, straight, at least 2.5 inches long and at least 1.5 inches in diameter. Bagged carrots are usually not thick enough. Choose loose carrots as they tend to be wider.
- Possible vegetables are apples, Asian pears, beets, broccoli stems (only fat ones), carrots (only fat ones), celeriac, chayote, cucumbers, daikon radish, jicama, kohlrabi, onions, parsnips, pears, bell peppers, potatoes, radishes, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, turnips, watermelon radishes, winter squash, zucchini and other summer squash.
What Vegetables and Fruits Don’t Work with the Spiralizer?
- Produce that is narrow, like celery or thin carrots.
- Produce that is soft or juicy. The produce will give and fall apart or squish as it is pushed against the blade. Eggplant might seem firm, however the flesh has a spongy texture which will not stay intact when turned on the spiralizer, and it will tear. Pears will work if they are firm, even if they are on the juicy side.
- Produce that is irregular, such as cauliflower and broccoli florets, which are difficult to secure and will fall apart.
- Produce with lots of seeds or one big seed in the middle. The one exception is thick-fleshed bell peppers. You can use the spiralizer for bell peppers, however it’s best to only spiralize a little more than halfway up the vegetable, until the blade reaches the seedpod.
What Dishes Can You Make With The Spiralizer
There are many types of dishes you can make with the spiralizer. For ideas, the Brieftons Spiral Slicer Recipe eBook is a good starting point.
Here are just some examples of what you can make…
Cooking and Storing Spiralized Vegetables
The good thing about spiralized vegetables is they can be cooked really quickly or even eaten raw. The best ways to cook them are usually the simplest:
- Steaming
- Simmering in boiling water
- Stir frying
- Baking and roasting (for spiralized vegetables such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, beetroots, parsnips and butternut squash)
It’s perfectly fine to store most spiralized vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. This means you can prep vegetables in advance, or spiralize extra and save the rest for later use. There are some exceptions though:
- Apples, pears and potatoes can oxidize quickly and turn brown, so it’s best to prepare them as and when needed.
- Spiralized cucumber can only be kept for 2 days because of its high water content.
Recipes to Get You Started
Have you downloaded your copy of the Brieftons Spiral Slicer recipe ebook? It contains 20 quick, healthy & tasty vegetable dishes that you can make with your spiralizer right away…
Click Here to Get the Brieftons Spiral Slicer Recipe eBook
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