For many of us, our daily lives involve quite a bit of time spent in the kitchen! And having a tip or trick up your sleeve that can save a little bit of time or effort in the kitchen can be hugely rewarding.
1.Rescue Rice
Rice can be tricky to get right at the best of times! And if you happen to overcook it, the rice at the bottom of the pot can burn and affect the taste of the rest of the rice. But there’s an easy way to salvage your rice! Just placed a slice of white bread on top of the rice for 5-10 minutes. The bread will draw out the burned flavor and aroma, leaving you with plenty of palatable rice to serve!
2. Give bananas a longer life
Keep bananas fresh for longer by wrapping the end of the bunch with plastic wrap. Better yet, separate each banana. Both tactics block ethylene gases from releasing out of the stem, thereby ripening the fruit too fast.
3. Save cut fruit from browning
You’ve probably heard that a little squeeze of lemon juice can keep apple slices from looking unappetizing. A mixture of 1 part honey to 2 parts water works much the same way to keep fruit from browning. Ever wonder why this works? The citric acid and vitamin C in lemon juice and a peptide in honey slow down the oxidation process that causes discoloration.
4. Even Cheese Slices
You’ll just need a peeler. After that, instead of slicing cheese with a knife, just use a peeler. The advantage? All of the cheese slices will end up with an even thickness!
5. Quick ‘Baked’ Potatoes
You’ll Need:
- 4 toothpicks
- microwave
Here’s How:
Stick 4 toothpicks into a potato and place it, balanced on the toothpicks, in the microwave for 15 minutes. There’s no need for an oven!
6. Use the float test to check egg freshness
Can’t remember when you bought those eggs? Don’t fret; eggs are typically good well past their expiration dates. But you can always do the “float test” to check their freshness before you ruin dinner – and other food – by adding spoiled eggs. It’s simple: Just put an egg in a bowl of water. If they float, they’re bad; if they sink and lay horizontally, they’re good to go.
7. Freeze herbs in ice cube trays
Fresh herbs add serious flavor to recipes without added calories, but sometimes they spoil before you’re able to use them. Stop that from happening—and take out a step in your sautéing routine—by combining olive oil with herbs in ice cube trays. Simply freeze and pop out whenever a recipe calls for herbs and spices. Bonus: You’ll save money by not throwing away herbs you couldn’t use!
8. Microwave lemons and limes for faster juicing
Zap lemons, limes, or oranges for 15 seconds in the microwave before squeezing them. The fruit will yield twice as much juice. Wondering what to do with freshly-squeezed lemon?
Check out these Amazing Things You Can Do With a Lemon.
9. Use frozen fruits and vegetables.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most desirable for cooking because you know they’re quality. Unfortunately, fresh means plenty of preparation by way of chopping and peeling. Cut out that step by purchasing the frozen versions of the vegetables you need for cooking. Most frozen vegetables are flash-frozen when they’re fresh, meaning they’ll still have the same vitamins and minerals as fresh versions without all the extra preparation time. Just make sure you’re getting the plain vegetables and not ones covered with sauces or extra ingredients.
10. Peel potatoes like a genius.
For this one-minute hack, you’re only going to peel one horizontal line around the circumference of the widest part of the potato. Then boil the potatoes until tender and run them under cold water—which is when the peels will easily come right off.
11. Removing an eggshell fragment
This is one of those hacks that I thought wouldn’t work because it seemed too good to be true. I was wrong! Simply use a larger piece of eggshell to scoop up those pesky little fragments. It feels like magic.
12. Use a spoon to skin a kiwi
This trick works best if your kiwi is ripe (not rock hard). First, slice the ends off of a kiwi. Slide a spoon under the skin, and run it all the way around the kiwi, keeping it as close to the skin as possible without breaking through the skin
You’ll be able to slide the skin right off! Then just slice and serve
13. Bring eggs to room temperature quickly
Along the same lines, you can quickly warm eggs to room temp by placing them in a bowl and covering them with very warm (not hot) water. Let them sit for about 5–10 minutes while you prep the rest of your recipe.
14. Prevent potatoes from browning
This is a trick I learned from my mom. If you want to peel your potatoes in advance, simply cover them with cold water to prevent them from browning. Your potatoes might retain a bit more water if they’re left overnight in the fridge like this. But if you’re making mashed potatoes with them, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.
