If Blindness Comes: Cooking Techniques

If Blindness Comes: Cooking Techniques

Cooking Techniques

A cook who becomes blind still has a lifetime of experience
and knowledge about food a resource to be prized. There is no
reason for a blind person to be frightened of hot stoves, electric
mixers, sharp knives, or anything else in the kitchen. It is
important to take the same good-sense precautions you always did:
don't leave cloth potholders on the stove; don't stack glasses in
the sink, and so forth. Accidents occur because of carelessness,

First of all, it does not hurt food to touch it if your hands
are clean. You can measure a cup or a half cup of milk by touch.
When the liquid reaches the half cup line or the top of the cup,
you can feel the milk there. The best way to be sure that all the
lumps are out of a stiff cookie dough is to finish mixing it with
your hands. A light, quick touch with your finger will help you
determine whether hamburger or steak or biscuits are brown. When
brown they will be rougher and dryer than when raw. It is also
possible to tell by touch when pie crust or pizza dough is smooth
and when all the holes have been removed. You can tell by touch if
cake frosting covers the entire cake and is smooth or if brownie
dough in the pan is level. You can tell by touch when a bowl is
scraped clean. These things require that the blind cook wash his or
her hands often, but they work and the food is good.

In most situations no special equipment is necessary; all that is needed is
to use the other senses well, as in listening for when the carrots begin to
boil. Many items of equipment designed for the sighted are especially appropriate
for the blind as well—pie-cutting guides and metal measuring cups, for
example. The kitchen timer which is sold on the regular market but happens to
have well-placed raised markings is another example.
Plan the storage of your equipment and utensils so that you
will not waste time unnecessarily in looking around for them. At
the same time, however, you should realize that your plans will not
always work perfectly in practice; you should be able to hunt
around if necessary and find an item which someone else has put
away in a different place.
Many helpful tools and appliances are available. However, in
most situations it is a matter of personal choice as to whether to
buy a special appliance or to use another approach (such as
adapting a regular tool or appliance or using a different method).
Avoid over-dependence on special tools or rigidly defined
techniques.
The blind person often uses the sense of touch to gain
information that a sighted person would probably gain through
sight. The experienced blind cook can abide by any requirements of
sanitation and formality as necessary. He or she is able to avoid
directly touching any of the food with the fingers, by such means
as wearing thin plastic gloves or using a utensil or appliance.
Whenever we speak of touching something, it should be assumed that
the experienced cook can find a way to avoid using unprotected
fingers if circumstances so require.

Recipes

Braille and large print cookbooks are available on loan from
many libraries for the blind. A few cookbooks in recorded form also
exist; these may be helpful to those who have severe circulatory
problems or other special difficulties in learning Braille. If you
do not know the location of your local library for the blind, you
may inquire of us; your regular local public library; or the
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped,
Library of Congress; 1291 Taylor St., N.W.; Washington, D.C. 20542.
Also, we can provide information about where cookbooks may be
purchased.
Braille recipe files may also be made. Although the user of an
inkprint recipe file prefers to have the front of each card facing
toward him, with the title at the top, most Braille readers prefer
a different arrangement. You will probably prefer to insert the
Braille cards with the top down, with the Brailled side of each
card away from you; this way your fingers will reach the Braille
most comfortably. Because of this, the title of each recipe should
be placed below the recipe as it is written on the card; the titles
will then be easily accessible as the bottoms of the cards appear
at the top of the file box. Similarly, labels on file dividers
should be placed upside down on the backs of the tabs.
A frequently-used recipe will last longer if a plastic page or
card is used. It is also helpful, while using a particular recipe,
to tape it to the inside of a cupboard door, or in some other way
support it so that it is not lying on the mixing surface, and thus
keep it as clean as possible.

Shopping

You will select, from many good alternatives, the method of
marketing that works best for you in a particular set of
circumstances. Most grocery stores, especially during the less busy
hours, are willing to assign an employee to accompany you around
the store and assemble your order as you direct. Alternatively, you
may choose to shop with a friend or relative. If you hire a reader
or a driver, you may decide to use him or her as a shopping
assistant on occasion. You may wish to telephone a store that will

Be systematic as you place the groceries on your shelves at
home. Plan where to keep each kind of item, and be consistent. If
containers cannot easily be distinguished by touch, label them in
Braille. (Store clerks and delivery men should be willing to read
the inkprint labels for you as necessary.) One way of labeling is
to write the name of the item on a 3" x 5" card, and then attach
the card to the container with a rubber band.

Measuring Ingredients

Metal measuring cups and spoons sold on the regular market are
very convenient for the blind cook. Using measuring spoons with dry
ingredients is no different for the blind cook than for the
sighted. For liquids, however, we suggest that you bend the spoon
so that the bowl is at right angles to the handle; keep each liquid
ingredient in a wide-mouthed jar, so that the bent spoon may simply
be lowered into it and then lifted out full. A popular convention
is to bend the one-half teaspoon and one-tablespoon measures in
each set, so that half of the spoons are adapted for liquids and so
that the spoons can be told apart by touch very quickly and easily.

It is very convenient to use nesting measuring cups and fill
the appropriate measure completely full in the usual manner. A
one-cup measuring cup with raised fractional markings on the inside
may also be used, however.
If a recipe calls for a measured amount of boiling water, we
suggest that you measure the water before heating it. If you use
the water immediately when it begins to boil, the evaporation loss
will not be significant.

Cutting, Grating, and Peeling

The actual process of peeling, slicing, or grating is no
different for the blind than for the sighted. As in all phases of
cooking, safety depends upon competence and care rather than upon

It is much easier and more satisfactory to grate or cut into
a large bowl rather than onto a flat surface. The food is then
automatically collected and easily manageable.
If you are a beginner who has had little or no experience in
using a knife, you may find it easier and safer at first to cut
downward toward a cutting board. The experienced cook uses a knife
in various positions, however; and the newly blinded experienced
cook will probably not change her ways of using a knife.

A suggested method for chopping vegetables into small pieces is as follows:
Slice the vegetables into a large bowl. Then use a Kwik-Kut Food Chopper, which
resembles a round cookie or biscuit cutter but is very sharp on the bottom.
(This cutter is available on the general market.) Chop the cutter up and down
through the slices, moving around within the bowl and continuing until the pieces
are the desired size and uniformity.

Pouring, Draining, and Mixing

If a tray or cookie sheet with raised edges is placed
underneath the bowl while pouring and mixing, messiness and loss
due to spillage can be minimized. A tray is also helpful for the
same reason when carrying things which might spill for example, a

Place several small desserts or custards together on one tray
in the oven or refrigerator.
Whenever possible, avoid unnecessary carrying: for example,
measure ingredients immediately beside the mixing bowl, and prepare
gelatin near the refrigerator. You may even wish to place a
piecrust on the oven shelf before pouring in the liquid filling.

An "Oven Saver" a round metal sheet with crimped edges and
with a hole in the middle for heat circulation is also good for
prevention of spillage problems with pies both outside and inside
the oven. This item is sold on the general market.
There are many methods for pouring and draining. For large
quantities, a nervous beginner may wish to dip with a cup or ladle;
however, pouring from one container to another in the regular
manner may be accomplished with some practice. You may keep one
hand on the receiving container to keep track of its location. With
practice it is relatively easy to learn to judge the fullness of a
container by sound and weight.
Depending on formality and other circumstances, you may
determine when the desired level is reached by placing your finger
over the lip of the container, counting the number of dips with
your ladle, estimating, or using a liquid level indicator. With
very thick mixtures such as cake batter, check that the level is
even all across the pan. When filling an angel-food cake pan, cover
the hole in the middle with a small plastic bag or a tiny jelly
tin.
Using a screw-top jar or other shaker to mix the flour with
the liquid is helpful in making white sauce and gravies.
Probably the easiest method of draining vegetables is to pour
them into a colander or strainer: if the colander or strainer is
placed over a bowl, any spilled vegetables will be retrievable. The
experienced cook may prefer another method.
There are several good methods for separating eggs. One way is
to break the shell into two unequal parts; lift off and discard the
small end; and then drain off the white. It is also possible to buy
a special tool for separating eggs.
Stirring by hand usually presents no particular problem. Use
a bowl that is large enough to minimize splashing, and be sure to
scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. If the bowl slides
around annoyingly, set it on a damp cloth or some other
non-slippery surface.
Although the beginner may feel nervous about an electric
mixer, normal safety precautions make it as safe for the blind cook
as for the sighted. The condition of the mixture may be observed
and controlled by using a rubber spatula and/or by stopping the
machine to check with the fingers.
For methods in pouring coffee or tea, see the paragraphs on
"Serving the Food."

Plugging in an Appliance

If you are a beginner who has not yet learned how to plug in
an appliance safely, the following suggestions may be helpful:
First locate the outlet tactually and observe the orientation of
the holes. With your right hand holding the plug by the insulated
portion, bring the plug up to the outlet, but do not begin to push
it in. Checking with your left hand to see that the prongs are
oriented in the same direction as the holes, bring the plug up so
that the prongs are over the holes, but do not yet push the prongs
in, even part way. Remove your left hand, and be sure that your
right hand is touching only the insulated portion of the plug. Now
push the plug into the outlet.

Dials and controls

Dials and controls may easily be adapted to use without sight.
With experience, you will be able to obtain the necessary
information quickly from the appliance salesman or some other
sighted person and arrange a plan to operate the dials easily and

For each dial or knob, you will need to define at least one
reference point on the moving part and at least one reference point
on the background behind it. You may have several reference points
on the dial and just one on the background, or you may have several
reference points on the background and just one on the dial.
Look first for already-existing features which you can use.
Following are several examples of settings which can be used
without any added markings:

Turn the dial clockwise, or counterclockwise, as far as it will go.

Move the dial to the next clearly-defined "click."

Place the pointer straight up, straight down, etc.

Place the dial halfway between two clearly-defined positions.

Feel a screw, raised letter, or other tactual feature which happens to
be on the dial already.

When the existing features are not sufficient for accurate use
by the blind, you will need to add one or more tactual markings.
Ideas include: filing small notches; applying actual Braille dots
or letters, as with a special Dymotape set; placing drops of glue,
paint, etc.; and etching glass. (Glass may be etched by using a
portable high-speed grinder with a V-shaped silicon carbide stone,
or a vibrating engraving tool with a silicon carbide or diamond
point.)
Many knobs and dials can easily be removed to facilitate
marking. Observe carefully before removing, however, so that you
will be able to replace the dial correctly.
The tactile markings need not necessarily be the same as the
inkprint markings, as long as they produce the desired results. If
the dial is particularly hard to mark, for example, it may be
possible to do most of the marking on the background instead of on
the dial.
Use the minimum necessary marks, avoiding confusing clutter.
Probably you will not mark nearly as many points as the inkprint
dial has. On the heat control of a conventional oven, for example,
marking every 100 degrees is entirely adequate. It is easy to set
a dial one-fourth, one-half, or three-fourths of the way between
two marks.

Microwave Ovens

On most traditional ovens, tactual labels can be placed in the
obvious locations. On microwave ovens, however, sometimes there is
a heat sensor behind the printed label. In this case, if Braille is
placed in the same location as the print, the student searching for
the correct control may inadvertently turn on several unwanted
processes merely by gently touching certain spots. To deal with
this problem, place Braille labels above, below, or beside the
printed labels, in a strip or other consistent manner. The student
can search for the correct label, and then move up or down to the

As a further challenge, sometimes controls are so close
together that there is no room even for adjacent labels. Consider
these ideas, alone or in combination:

Use simple one- or two-symbol Braille labels. Experiment to see how large
the heat-sensitive spot actually is. It may be much smaller than the printed
label. Place double labels next to one row, indicating both that row and the
next one. Label one row, and memorize the row next to it. If there is no room
for regular Braille symbols, place simple tactual marks and memorize the meaning.
Using the Stove, Oven, or Electric Frying Pan

Food may be placed in a pan, and the pan on a burner, before
the heat is turned on; this way, the pan and burner may be examined
tactually with safety. However, with experience you will rarely if
ever need to turn off the heat in order to replace a pan on the

Similarly, if you are a beginner you may wish to examine a
conventional oven carefully while it is cold. Once you are familiar
with its arrangement, you will then be able to work confidently
when the oven is hot, using a mitt or a potholder. It is usually
better to pull out the oven shelf in order to insert or remove
something; the danger of a hand burn is then minimized because you
need not reach far inside the oven. Be sure that the shelves are
properly attached so that they will not pull out too far or tip
over.
Although the beginner may feel hesitant about lighting a gas
stove or oven, the blind cook need only follow normal safety
precautions and observe the operation of the stove by means other
than sight. Listen for the sound of the flame lighting. If
necessary hold your hand above the burner or pilot light, at a safe
distance, to see whether it is still burning. With experience you
will be able to set the flame to the desired level by observing the
position of the control and the amount of heat generated. If
matches are required, the beginner may prefer large wooden ones and
may need to practice lighting them; however, the experienced cook
uses any available match.
Usually you can tell when something starts to boil, by
listening and/or by feeling the vibration of the pan handle.
However, if the liquid is very thick, a Braille thermometer may be
useful. A beginner may wish to have the mixture stop boiling
temporarily before adding ingredients.
Monitoring the cooking of a confection by placing a sample in
cold water and checking for the soft ball stage, etc., is done by
touch anyway, and should be no problem for the blind cook.
If you use a pressure cooker, select a type which makes use of
sounds (as with a jiggling weight), rather than an inkprint dial.
Notches may be filed in a weight which has multiple settings.
To turn meat which is frying, locate each piece by touch and
flip it in the usual manner. If necessary, wad up a piece of paper
toweling as a pad to protect your hand. (Especially at first, you
may need to use your hand to find the piece of meat and/or to keep
it in the right position while you are turning it over with a
spatula.)
A suggested method for frying chicken is as follows: Tuck the
ends of each wing together for greater compactness and ease in
handling. Plan your arrangement of the pieces in the skillet so
that you remember where each one is. Arrange the chicken in a
relatively cool skillet (warmed only enough to melt the fat); turn
up the heat appropriately until the meat is ready to turn; then
turn the heat off again while you are turning the pieces. In
turning large pieces, it may be convenient to exchange two of them
with each other.
Since bacon is so thin and flimsy, a bacon decurler may be
used to make turning unnecessary. This is a perforated metal plate
with a small handle in the middle, available on the general market.
The bacon cooks on both sides simultaneously when this device is
placed on it. Alter the proper time has elapsed, touching the bacon
with a spatula or lifting it up slightly will indicate its
crispness. Scoop out the pieces with the spatula, pushing them
against a paper towel to collect them.
In frying pancakes, the beginner will probably start with just
one in the middle of the pan; however the experienced cook can fry
several in the same skillet. Ladle in the appropriate amount of
batter for the size of cake desired; for a thinner cake, shake or
tip the skillet slightly. The appropriate time for turning may be
judged by time and by the consistency of the cake as the spatula is
slipped under it.
In preparing waffles, spread the batter around evenly as you
dip it into the waffle iron. You will know when the waffle is done
by observing such things as the amount of steam escaping, the odor,
and whether the lid comes free easily.
The beginner frying an egg, and the experienced cook frying
several eggs separately in one pan, may use an egg ring for each
egg. Remove both the top and bottom of a small tuna or pineapple
can, leaving a metal ring about one and one-half inches high and
three inches in diameter. This ring is placed in the pan and the
egg is broken into it. When the egg becomes firm enough to keep its
shape, the ring is removed.
Time, touch, odor, taste, and/or sound will indicate when a
product is done.

Choice of Cooking Method

Many people today, sighted and blind, regard the microwave
oven as extremely convenient and "the modern way to cook."
Nevertheless, large numbers of people still prefer conventional
stoves and ovens for many procedures, and/or cannot afford a
microwave oven. Others use the "more traditional" methods when
visiting friends or relatives, volunteering in the church kitchen,
etc. Home economics classes teach various methods of cookery, not

For all these reasons, the blind person needs to learn all the
common means of cooking and baking. Do not permit the microwave
oven to be the only method because "it is so much easier."

Serving the Food

Many aids are available for cutting cakes, pies, etc., into
portions. From a restaurant supply house it is possible to buy a
pie-cutting guide featuring slots for the knife. A different type
of pie cutter, consisting of a wire frame with blades, is available
from restaurant supply houses. A hexagonal-shaped pie pan may be
bought on the regular market, and a straightedge may be laid across
between opposite corners to guide the knife. A straightedge may
also be used in a similar manner with any metal pan if notches are
filed at appropriate places along the edges of the pan; cakes,

Setting the table usually presents no particular problem. If
you have trouble spacing the place settings evenly, we suggest that
you push each chair up close to the table in its proper place. Then
you can center each place setting in front of the corresponding
chair.
A tray or cookie sheet helps in serving soup or other liquids.
A filled bowl may be carried on a tray to minimize the problem of
spillage. Alternatively, the bowls may be filled at the table just
before the diners arrive, with the tray being placed under each
bowl in turn as a precaution.
Many blind hostesses prefer to serve food to their guests from
a cart or sideboard. If each serving dish is passed around and
then returned to this location, the hostess easily finds out when
a dish becomes empty.
The popular modern custom of a self-service buffet style meal
is particularly convenient for the blind hostess, as it is for the
sighted. The hostess need only arrange all the necessary items
appropriately, and then replenish empty serving dishes as
necessary.
The beginner may experience difficulty in pouring from a
coffeepot. We suggest the following: Set the cup near the edge of
the table. Lift the coffeepot completely off the table, and lower
it so that the bottom of the pot is lower than the surface of the
table. Then place the spout so that it touches the lip of the cup
and reaches inside. (With experience, you may or may not come to
prefer some other method.)
To determine when the cup is full, you may place your finger
over the lip of the cup; estimate the amount of liquid, according
to sound, volume, time, etc.; or use a liquid level indicator.

Cleanup

Much of the need for cleaning up spots and spills can be
prevented by careful work habits. As mentioned above, a tray is
extremely helpful in catching spills. Unpleasant accidents, such as
dropping a pie or placing one tray of unbaked cookies on top of
another, can usually be prevented by care and thought. For example:
Remove spills from the floor at once before someone slips. Check
the oven shelf to be sure it is clear. Replace lids tightly onto
the proper jars. Put utensils and appliances back into their proper
places, and always turn off appliances rather than merely
unplugging them. Plan ahead in all respects rather than proceeding
haphazardly. (All of these precautions apply to the sighted as
well; however, the blind person learning new techniques may need to

Often the need for cleaning or washing can be felt tactually.
It is important, however, to anticipate dirt which may not be so
readily noticed and to do routine general cleaning such as wiping
off the entire counter after mixing on it. In cleaning a surface
such as the counter or floor, a planned approach is very important:
clean in strips rather than random strokes here and there.
Dishwashing usually presents no particular problems.
Cleanliness and neatness should be considered at every stage
of the food preparation procedure. Organize equipment and supplies
beforehand; keep your hands thoroughly clean; plan carefully; clean
up spills when they occur; wash all utensils and wipe off the
entire cooking area afterwards. Double check after the cleanup is
completed, to be sure nothing was missed.

Conclusion

A positive attitude is essential to success. If you really believe that the
blind cook necessarily takes many safety risks, needs a great deal of special
equipment, has only a limited repertoire, and produces questionable products
then you will do a poor job. If you really believe that the blind cook may choose
among many good methods to work with all kinds of food and produce high-quality
products then you will find a way to succeed.
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Copyright © 1994 by the National Federation of the Blind All Rights Reserved.