A Step-By-Step Guide to Julienning an Apple

The ability to julienne an apple, or slice it into matchstick-thin strips, is a great kitchen skill that can be used for salads and other dishes. To get it right, follow these simple steps demonstrated by Rebecca Goldfarb of the Social Table. Be sure to have a sharp knife and a steady grip.

1. Holding the apple upright, with its core vertical, cut with your knife from top to bottom along one side of the core, coming in nice and tight around the core (without cutting into it).
2. Cut from top to bottom again, this time on the other side of the core. You should have three apple pieces, two with one rounded side and one flat side each, and the third (with the core) with two long flat sides and skin around the circumference.
3. Lay the apple piece with the core flat on one of its sides. Make two additional cuts, one on either side of the core. Discard the core.
4. Take one of the apple slices and place it on your cutting board with the skin facing up. Proceed to make top-to-bottom ¼- to ⅛-inch cuts across the slice.
5. Line the slices made in step 4 back up and flip them on their side in a single stack, with a flat edge and a rounded edge. Starting with the flat edge of the stack, again make ¼- to ⅛-inch cuts across, resulting in long, thin slices.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the rest of the slices.