35 Handy Kitchen Hacks That Make Cooking Fun
Food need not be difficult, and these smart kitchen tips are usually why! Everything from making fresh herbs last longer to storing sauces in egg cartons, these are tips that will make you prep, cook, and organize your kitchen like a pro. These tips are for helping you skip work, whether you are proofing bread on a cold day or using frozen rolls to make them taste homemade. Great for anyone who loves to cook or just wants to make things easier in the kitchen!
Microwaving Garlic to Remove Its Skin Easily
Are you finding it hard to peel garlic? Microwave a few garlic cloves with the top sliced off for 20-30 seconds The skins will just slide off after microwaving, which makes this chore a lot easier!
Bubble Wrap to Insulate Ice Cream
If you plan on bringing home ice cream and want to prevent it from melting, wrap the container in bubble wrap. Bubble wrap insulates and will keep your ice cream firm for hours. Perfect for road trips!
Chopstick Cherry Pitter:
If you lack a cherry pitter, try this trick. Put a cherry on the top of an empty bottle (beer or soda bottle) and then push the pit into the bottle with a chopstick or straw. It is a fast, clean, and highly effective way to do so.
Shuck Corn Easily in the Microwave
If you shuck corn, you know it can be a pain in the butt and messy. To assist, microwave each ear of corn for 30 seconds to a minute. It helps to loosen the shell, which brings you off with minimal hassle.
Using Marshmallows to Keep Brown Sugar Soft
If your brown sugar is always hard, put a couple of marshmallows in the container. The marshmallows prevent the sugar from hardening, so it remains pliable for at least weeks when you finally want to use it.
Use Butter Wrappers to Prevent Splatter in the Microwave
If you’re melting butter in the microwave, rather than cover the cup you’ll be microwaving to melt your butter, re-use a butter wrapper and use it as a top. Use the wrapper to cover your dish and catch any spattering when melting butter or something.
Chill Wine Quickly with Salt Water
Want to get wine cold in a hurry? Put the bottle in a tall pitcher of ice water and a handful of salt. Every few minutes, give the bottle a little more rotation so that it’ll be ice cold within 20 minutes.
Keep Your Cookies Soft with a Slice of Bread
If you want to keep your cookies and baked goods soft, put them in an airtight container with a piece of white bread. The bread maintains its freshness and softness as if it were freshly baked.
Reduce Acidity in Tomato Sauce with a Carrot
If your tomato sauce is too acidic, peel a carrot to reduce acidity after simmering in tomato sauce. It added just a touch of natural sweetness whilst the carrot absorbed the acidity. Simply take it out before you serve.
Dice Eggs Using a Cooling Rack
For dicing hard-boiled eggs, forcibly push them through a cooling rack. That’s a charm and saves time. Even this hack can be applied to others; avocados and soft foods.
Use Cupcake Liners to Organize Snacks
Use cupcake liners in lunchboxes and use them to separate different snacks. A fantastic way to separate foods, and adds a little flair—particularly with colored liners.
Need To Soften Butter in a Hurry
You forgot to take the butter out and let it come up to room temperature. Just cut it into small cubes. It softens in about 20 minutes but that’s also great if you are in a hurry to bake, the pieces have even smaller sizes.
Water: Trick to Preserve Your Herbs
Will not let them bεcomε wilting fαr too soon! To revive herbs such as parsley and cilantro, cut the stems short and put them in a small glass of water. Place a plastic bag over the top and tie it on tight or use kitchen twine, then refrigerate or leave it on your counter. Using this method, herbs can stay fresh for as long as two weeks!
Group Ingredients with Sheet Pans:
Everything in one place makes meal prep easier. Tip: For all-season cooking, Use a baking sheet to Collect All Of Your Ingredients before you start. This keeps you tidy, reduces the time spent cleaning up a mess, and makes the process of prepping food feel less like work.
Dollar Store Dryremove Shakers
spruce up your spice cupboard! Turn small Mason jars into pour shakers by fitting them with the lids from those Parmesan shakers you saved. Why spend more money, it is this way a perfect solution to store and sprinkle spices.
Use Apple Slicer for Perfectly Cut Steak Fries
Yes, you can use the apple slicer to get perfectly cut steak fries! Simply, to stabilize the potato, cut one end and press with the apple slicer. Add seasoning or a recipe for some extra flavor. And this trick works with sweet potatoes as well!
Freeze a Soup Starter in Bags
Would you like to have vegetables all year round? In peak season, blanch and freeze vegetables such as carrots and onions in resealable bags to create an easy soup base. These frozen greens last for eight to twelve months, offering gorgeous garden flavor in the cold of winter.
Use a Lazy Susan for Baking Supplies
Place all your baking essentials (sprinkles, sugars, icings) on a lazy Susan. This setup allows you to decorate your treats stress-free and easily, giving you everything you need without having to dig through your cupboards.
Get Proofing Your Bread in the Oven
If your kitchen is too cold for bread to rise, worry not. Simply put your dough in the oven (do not switch on the oven.) Place a pan of hot water under it, and shut the door. The water steam makes it warm and cozy inside the oven, and it makes the bread rise fluffy.
Use Egg Cartons to Freeze Sauces
If you have leftover sauce? Fill it up in an egg box not even in an ice tray! Or freeze it, then just drop the cubes of sauce into a freezer bag to use later. So when you want to use them, all you have to do is simply defrost them overnight in the refrigerator — it just takes a few hours.
Stop Bowls from Sliding with a Wet Towel
Do you need to hold onto a mixing bowl? Wet a kitchen towel, and put it under the bowl, so that it will not slip while stirring. Hint 8: You can also use this trick with a cutting board!
How To Make Store-Bought Rolls Taste Homemade
For frozen rolls, brush the tops with egg wash, then top with your favorite spices, seeds, or cheese. Bake them as you would a normal cookie and they will be perfect and to die for!
Bring Eggs To Room Temperature In A Jiff
For baking, room-temperature eggs are ideal. End up not taking them out early? Simply put them in warm water for a few minutes and they are good to go.
Use rubber bands to sort jars
Short on labels? No problem! Use rubber bands to identify jar contents They are also useful in making sure lids get a good grip and they make opening jars easier.
Keep fresh herb life for longer with a damp paper towel
Fresh herbs wilt pretty fast, but this will let them last longer. Moisten a paper towel and wrap your herbs — such as basil or parsley — in it and place the towel in the fridge. It retains moisture and stops the plant from wilting ensuring that you have fresh herbs at your disposal for garnishing and cooking.
Chilled Rolling Pin to Keep Dough Cold:
For pastries or pie crust recipes that require cold dough, a hot rolling pin can make it messy. Keep your rolling pin in the fridge for a while before you use it instead. A chilly surface is nice for the dough and helps keep it at the correct temperature — for less awkward rolling and less awkward work.
Quick Trick for Using Cold Butter in Baking:
Need softened butter fast? Use a cheese grater to shred a freshly chilled stick of butter. The grated butter softens more quickly on the counter and is also easier to cut into dough or batter for cookies, biscuits, or pastry to achieve those flaky results.
Take a Straw to Vent and Hold Soft Fruits:
For fragile fruits like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries, prevent them from getting mushy with the help of air vents. Simply And you don’t need fancy tools: Poke some holes in the top of the container with a straw or toothpick. This helps to reduce moisture and keep the berries fresh and flavorful longer.
Reheat Food With a Paper Towel to Keep Leftovers Moist:
Sometimes, you’ll take something out of the microwave to find it dry and decidedly unappetizing. Cover the bowl with a wet paper towel to prevent them from drying out while reheating. This method is perfect for reheating rice, pasta, or casseroles, ensuring they retain moisture and heat evenly.
Boil Water, Then Freeze, for Crystal-Clear Ice Cubes:
Ice cubes ordinarily turn out cloudy and fuzzy from air bubbles that wind up trapped inside. To make clear ice for drinks or cocktails, boil water before freezing it. After it has boiled, let the water cool down a little and fill it into ice trays. It freezes without those air bubbles, making crystal-clear ice.
Use Unflavored Dental Floss to Cleanly Slice Soft Cheeses:
The truth is, when it comes to slicing soft cheeses like brie or fresh mozzarella, a knife can be your enemy. Opt instead for unflavored dental floss; it glides through and doesnít squish, yielding clean slices perfect for cheese boards or sandwiches. Just ensure that you are using regular floss, without any flavor or wax.
Refresh Old-Bread by Add Water and Bake:
Stale bread is not a loss. If it dries out, you can revive it by briefly running it under the tap to add moisture, then placing it in the oven at a low temperature (180 degrees Celsius) for several minutes. This will ensure your bread is soft and fresh, as if it had just been baked again.
Use a Potato Masher to Break Up Ground Meat Evenly:
Are you sick of clumps in ground meat when you cook with it? Once you have ground beef, turkey, or pork in your pan, use a potato masher to break it up. The masher How Does it Work gives you uniformly crumbled meat, ideal for tacos, sauces, or casseroles.
Avoid Avocado Browning with Onion Slices:
Have you ever gone to cut an avocado, only to find it has turned brown too fast? Put your open avocado half into a container along with a few onion slices. This will help delay the browning process as the sulfur in the onion will help prevent your avocado from oxidation which is what causes browning and discoloration — much longer than just leaving the avocado cut in two.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating these simple yet effective kitchen hacks can make your cooking experience smoother and more enjoyable. From keeping herbs fresh to preserving leftover avocados, these tips help you get the most out of your ingredients and save time in the kitchen. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a casual cook, these tricks add convenience and creativity to your routine, making meal prep easier and less wasteful. Give them a try, and see how small changes can make a big difference in your kitchen!
