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Fresh avocados
If your avocados keep ripening too quickly, try storing them with fresh
onion. Either red or yellow will work, although the yellow flavor is
stronger and more likely to affect the taste of your avocado. Whichever you choose, though, it’ll stop the avocado from browning at such a rapid rate.
Avocado pits don't prevent browning
Some
foodies believe that keeping the pit in the fruit keeps the avocado
from turning an ugly brown. That's not quite true, though. The seed only
protects the part of the avocado it’s directly in contact with. If your avocado has been sitting in the fridge a little longer than
usual because of its seed, you may want to give it a once-over before
use.
Keep sugar from drying out
Brown
sugar isn’t going to go off, but it can grow rock hard if left unused.
And when you’re in the mood for some impromptu baking, that can spell
disaster. A sugar saver, then, is a great way to keep it moist. Just soak the
terracotta wonder in water, dry it off, and pop it into an airtight
container with your sugar.
Keep water from boiling over
We’ve
all been there: you think you’ve measured out just enough water to boil
in your pan, only to find that it’s way too much once the bubbles start
to rise. To avoid accidentally scalding yourself, then, try resting a wooden spoon over the top of the pan.
Easy-peel boiled eggs
If
you always have trouble removing the shell from your egg after boiling
it, then this is the kitchen hack for you. Simply adding a spoonful of
baking soda to the cooking water will make the shell come straight off.
Freeze onions to stop the tears
Onions
may be super tasty, but cutting them up is surely every home chef’s
most dreaded culinary nightmare. You can avoid the tears, however, by
simply putting them in the freezer. And if you don’t fancy cutting through a frozen onion, you can place it
in the fridge first, then pre-cut it before freezing with minimal fuss.
Remove excess fat with ice cubes
If
you’re making a casserole, soup, or sauce and find that it’s a little
oily, don’t panic; just pop in an ice cube. The grease will be attracted
to the ice, leaving you free to remove it with a ladle or spoon.You’ll have to be on your toes, though, to get it all before the ice cube melts.
Keep plastic wrap in the fridge
Is
every encounter with plastic wrap a frustrating, losing battle for you?
Then you may want to start keeping it in the fridge. Believe it or not,
the cold air will allow the wrap to tear just as easily while
preventing it from sticking to itself. And you should also be able to unroll it more easily. Basically, it’s a no-brainer.
Get more juice out of citrus fruit
When
it comes to getting every last delicious drop of juice out of citrus
fruit, it’s best to take a two-pronged approach. After all, you need to
refrigerate them to keep them fresh — but that makes the fruit less
suitable for juicing. When it’s time to squeeze their liquid goodness out, then, simply toss them in the microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds.
Neutralize hand odors with lemon juice
Sometimes,
just washing your hands with soap after cooking isn’t enough. Rinsing
your mitts with lemon juice, however, can absolutely do the trick.
Freeze leftover stock in an ice cube tray
If
you want to get savvy with your stock, you can take things a step
further by freezing it in an ice cube tray. After all, it’s essentially a
ready-made means of measurement, allowing you to pop out the perfect
portion of stock as and when required. And if you need your ice cube tray back, you can simply transfer the cubes into a Ziploc bag.
Slow-cook cheaper cuts of meat
Spending
less on meat seems like a no-brainer for saving money, but not everyone
wants to endure those tougher cuts. Fortunately, there’s a surefire way
to make even the cheapest meat mouthwateringly tender. All you need is a slow cooker; drop your meat cuts in there for a few hours, and the only tangible difference will be the price.
Keep potatoes white
If
you’ve ever chopped up potatoes without cooking them immediately,
you’ll probably have noticed that the oxidization process causes them to
turn an unappetizing shade of gray. That particular eventuality can easily be avoided, however, by popping
your potatoes into a bowl of cold water. So give this hack a try and
you’ll notice that they still look fabulously fresh.
Extend the lifespan of bananas
Watching
a fresh bunch of bananas quickly turn brown is a seemingly universal
experience, but it doesn’t have to be. To extend the period between
unripe and unusable, then, try using plastic wrap to cover the end of
the bunch. It’ll stop the bananas from emitting ethylene gases from the stem, which
can cause the rapid ripening of the potassium-packed fruit.
Ripen fruit faster
Of
course, sometimes you may want your fruit to ripen faster so that you
can chow down on it as soon as possible. If your banana is too green or
your peach too crunchy, just throw it into a paper bag. The concentration of the fruit’s naturally emitted ethylene gas will
speed up the ripening process — giving you an edible snack within a much
shorter timeframe.
Use shower caps to cover food
It
may sound crazy, but throwing a shower cap over your food is an amazing
kitchen hack. Not only will it protect your leftovers from outside
contaminants, but it also beats using tin foil or plastic wrap in almost
every way.
Easily peel garlic
Garlic
is one of the easiest ways to transform a dish from dull to delicious,
but peeling it can be a pain. Unless, of course, you know the secret to
removing the skin quickly. All you need to do is grab a clove, lie it flat, then hit it with the
side of your knife. And from there, watch the skin simply fall off.
Make cheese easier to grate
Few
culinary experiences are as frustrating as grating semisoft cheese.
Instead of turning your kitchen surfaces into a messy mush of
mozzarella, then, try popping your cheese in the freezer first. It doesn’t need long. In fact, just 30 minutes should be enough to make it much easier to grate.
Use rubber bands to open jars
If
you’re having trouble opening a particularly stubborn jar, head for the
stationery cupboard. Wrapping a rubber band around the lid will provide
some much-needed extra traction, helping the lid to pop off more
easily. You can also relieve the pressure on your own hands — and add a fraction more traction — by covering the lid with a dishtowel.
Keep your burgers juicy
Cooking
the perfect burger isn’t as simple as just tossing a patty onto the
grill. After all, it’s way too easy to accidentally overcook your beef,
leading to a dry and unsatisfying meal. If you want to keep your burger at its juiciest, then, try adding an ice
cube to the patty. It may sound weird, but the frozen water will simply
melt away, maintaining the flavor while also adding plenty of moisture.
Reheat pizza without drying it out
If
you’re short on time, the microwave can be a lifesaver for reheating
leftovers. However, it can also completely dry them out — particularly
if you’re warming up a doughy dish such as pizza. To make sure your slice stays salivating, then, try adding a cup of water to the microwave.
Pasta water has a use
Everyone
loves a good pasta dish. After all, it's a quick meal to whip up. But
do you know how to make your next Italian dinner even better? Don't pour
out the water used to boil the pasta. Yup, that's the secret ingredient! Once the noodles are cooked, pour a
dash of the starchy water into the sauce, making the pasta bind better
to it.
Rinsing cooked pasta with water
You,
by the sink — stop right there! When you rinse off your pasta after
cooking, you’re actually removing the outermost layer of starch from the
noodles. That makes it more difficult to coat with stuff like sauces. You can simply stir it regularly if you're concerned about noodles sticking together.
Using oil in your pasta water
Is
there anything worse than sticky pasta? Heck no. But while adding oil
to the water may keep the pasta from clumping, it also keeps it from
sticking to anything else... like delicious, tasty sauces! Simply stir your pasta constantly as it cooks instead.
Add hot sauce
A
bit of heat might be your recipe's secret ingredient. Most casual chefs
neglect the hot sauce, but a few drops in a sauce or dish can add a pop
of flavor that doesn't quite register on the heat scale. A quick word of caution: make sure to add only a few drops at a time — going overboard on hot sauce will make dinner unpleasant.
Try soy sauce over salt
Do
you want to find a good salt substitute? Would you like to find a new,
creative way to flavor your favorite dishes without breaking the bank?
Well, you probably have the perfect solution in your cabinet already. Just as a drop of hot sauce can elevate a dish, a splash of soy sauce
offers a flavorful salt substitute, plus a bit of umami flair.
Don't under-do garlic
Garlic
can quickly overpower a meal, so many amateur chefs toss one clove of
garlic into a dish. That's playing the seasoning a little too safe,
however. You will barely be able to get any of the flavor unless you up
the ante. In fact, there won't really be any garlic taste unless you use about two cloves per serving. Vampires (and picky eaters) beware!
Alcohol won't always cook-off
Plenty
of recipes call for booze, but you have to be careful with it,
depending on who you are feeding. Sometimes, when you can taste the
vodka in your sauce, it means the alcohol is still in there. Studies found that cooking out is dependent on the amount of heat and
length of time spent cooking. So an undercooked sauce could be pretty
boozy.
Microwaving food is NOT less nutritious
Your
microwave isn’t evil. In fact, when some foods are heated at a lower
temperature over the span of just a few minutes, they actually retain
more nutrients than they would with other cooking methods. Broccoli, for example, is just as healthy nuked as it is from the
stovetop. While the microwave isn't always the best cooking option, at
least you don't have to worry about it turning your food into empty
calories.
Pre-heat pans
Have
you ever drizzled oil onto a cold pan, turned on the burner, and
immediately added food? Well, any chef will tell you to make sure the
oil's hot before any food touches the pan. When you add your sautéd veggies to a pan of cold oil, they just get
soggy and the food ends up taking longer to cook. Hot oil seals in all
the flavors and juices of your food and gives the meal a great texture.
Add seasoning early on
You
can absolutely season your food too late in the game, so don't just
dump a ton of salt and pepper on your creation right before you serve
it. To get those incredible, complex tastes, you need to start seasoning
early. Also, don’t be afraid of drying things out; steak that’s been
salted early, for example, will have a crispier exterior.
Butter can't be softened in the microwave
Melting
isn’t the same as softening. If you overheat butter, you can break the
emulsion and ruin a potential recipe in the process. For butter that’s
perfect for baking, you’re better off leaving it at room temp. Plan ahead by a few hours, and you will end up with a much flakier
crust. If you need to soften it quickly, try grating it instead.
Refrigerating butter
Butter
needs to be in the fridge, doesn’t it? Nope, it’s not necessary. The
fat content prevents it from spoiling when left out on the counter. Plus, everyone prefers a soft and easy spread — which you don’t get when the butter has been sitting in the cold for hours.
Batter CAN have lumps
Stirring
a lot does not guarantee a better batch of cookies. As a matter of
fact, mixing batter too much will make your food hard to chew. Fluffy pastries and baked goods require some lumps, so don’t be afraid
of a little graininess. On the flip side, stirring too little can leave
you with giant pockets of flour, so make sure you find a balance.
Baking soda expires
Contrary
to popular belief, baking soda does not last forever. You should toss
it after 6 to 12 months, according to experts. When was the last time
you checked the baking soda in your fridge, anyway? It may not look moldy, but it’s likely that your old baking soda (or
powder) has lost its potency. At just a few dollars per pack, it’s worth
the yearly refresh.
Don't wash meat before cooking
Rinsing
off your fruits and veggies in the sink is a responsible thing to do,
but that doesn't mean you should do it with everything. When you rinse
raw meat before cooking, particularly chicken, what you’re actually
doing is spreading around residual bacteria. Before, long, that bacteria will be all over the meat, your hands, and
your sink. Water is particularly good at making foodborne illness
spread, so just start cooking once you open the package!
Cooking is a five-sense skill
Don't
just use your eyes and your taste buds to guide your cooking. Listening
can be incredibly useful in the kitchen — if you know what to bend your
ear to. Here's an example: when sautéing onions, there will be three distinct
noises. A sizzle when the chopped onions hit the oil. Then, there's a
hiss (that's steam escaping). When you hear the crackle, you'll know the
veggie's really cooking.
Keep knives sharp
Do
you know which of these causes more damage in the kitchen: a dull knife
or a sharp knife? That answer is a dull knife, which you might find
surprising. That's because sharp knives cut effortlessly through meats
and vegetables. On the other hand, the chef must jiggle and jab dull knives to cut
through even a flimsy tomato skin — leading to slips and accidents. So,
keep your knives sharp.
Think of sugar
Adding
a little sweetness to your dish can do wonders — even when you want
something spicy and savory. When making chili, for instance, consider
adding a little sugar to the concoction. This can help neutralize some of the meal's acidity while also adding
the perfect flavor notes to comfort food. Just be careful not to mix in
too much sweetener. A little goes a long way!
Lobsters don't really scream
Do
you feel guilty when you cook a lobster? We may not be able to totally
clear your conscience, but here is a piece of good news. Thankfully,
those high-pitched noises coming from the pot aren't the sounds of your
crustacean in agony. When a lobster is boiled, air is released from under its shell, creating
that whistling sound. Either way, it can make people pretty
uncomfortable.
Choose salt wisely
Chunkier
salt can be deceiving. If you’re used to regular table salt, then be
careful when making the switch to kosher or sea salt, as you may end up
under-seasoning your food. The finer the grain, the saltier the flavor. It's all about that surface
area! So, if you’re unsure, you can always try weighing out your salt
ahead of time.
Not all bakeware works the same
Do
your research when it comes to cookie sheets and baking dishes. The pan
you use may conduct heat differently than you want it to. Glass, metal,
and Pyrex are all very different. Even the color can have an effect! If you’re constantly burning your cookies, for example, you may want to
try a lighter-colored tray. Or you can play around with your oven
settings if you think your sheet is conducting too much heat.
Pre-preparing guacamole
So,
you've been told that all the ingredients you add to your guacamole
will work together to keep it fresh? And that a bit of citrus will keep
your green goodness fresh for a whole week, right? Nope, nope, and nope. Make your dip just before you eat it, or don’t make it at all. Day-old guacamole will be brown and may taste funky.
Keeping or removing pepper seeds
Taking
out pepper seeds is supposed to cut back on the spice, right? Wrong!
Well, sort of. There is another part of the veggie that you might need
to pay more attention to. Seeds may make your dish a little spicier, but it’s actually the
membrane, or pith, that holds the most heat in an average pepper. It's
up to you whether or not to add that pith into your next dinner.
Not searing stew meat
Don’t
skip searing meat before making a stew. It’s a critical step of the
cooking process that adds loads of flavor to your meat! The texture will
greatly improve as well. Sure, you can ignore that step and still make a palatable meal, but
you’ll end up with a blander dish. A couple extra minutes of preparation
can make all the difference in the world.
Using a marinade to tenderize meat
Chefs
everywhere use marinades in the belief that they can soften up tougher
cuts of meat. But on the whole, they only add flavor! Only special
ingredients can truly soften the texture of chicken thighs or pork
chops. One trick that may work is adding yogurt or papaya to your marinade.
They contain a bunch of enzymes that will help break down the meat
itself, making them more tender.
Not letting your meat rest
If
you’re serving meat directly off the heat, you’re not allowing those
juices to distribute evenly throughout the cut. Let it rest! For average-sized portions, five minutes is enough, but give a whole bird or a roast at least 20 minutes of resting time.
Using boiling water to make coffee
Resist
the urge to dump boiling water into your coffee pot! Why? All that heat
stifles some of the flavor. After boiling the water, wait 30 seconds —
or for the bubbling water to still — and then add it. That should be enough time for the perfect cup of Joe in the morning. Your taste buds will thank you, too!
Scrambling eggs at the wrong temperature
You’re
in a rush, so we get why you whacked up the heat on your scrambled
eggs. A hectic morning can throw your kitchen skills for a loop, but
haste does make waste. But don’t be tempted to cook your scrambled eggs as quickly as possible,
or else you'll have a sub-par breakfast! Low and slow is the way to go
for that extra-fluffy consistency.
Roasting potatoes without parboiling
Don’t
just smother your potatoes in oil and hope for the best! What you
really need to do to get that delicious crisp outside and creamy inside
is to boil your spuds before putting them in the oven. That process helps soften the center to perfection. Then, you'll cut
into a perfectly cooked potato: crispy on the outside and perfectly
tender in the middle.
Making bland mashed potatoes
How exactly can you spruce up the flavor of mashed potatoes? Try this: before boiling your spuds, cook them in a pan with cream and butter. That’ll turn your side dish from meh to wow.
Cutting limes wrong
It’s
a natural inclination to cut limes in half. But if you want to achieve
the maximum amount of juice — and you do — slice your lime into quarters
instead of halves.
Avoiding lemon zest
A Microplane is the perfect kitchen tool to create lemon zest, which adds depth to any dish. If you don’t have one, a vegetable peeler works just as well. Just make sure you don’t scrape too deep!
Boiling instead of simmering
Know
the difference between boiling and simmering? It’s an important
distinction! A simmer means you’ve got a few bubbles coming to the
surface every second or so. Anything more than that is a boil, and over-boiling can lead to a rushed dish that’s cloudy, tough, or dry.
Not shocking your vegetables after boiling
The
cooking process will continue even after you take your veggies off the
boil. To avoid any soggy, flabby texture, then, plunge your greens into
an ice bath. Or, at the very least, run them under very cold water.
Foam milk at home
You
don’t need a top-of-the-range espresso machine to get frothy milk at
home. All you need is a small jar. Fill it around halfway with milk, pop
the lid on, then give it a vigorous shake. Once it fills the entire receptacle, remove the lid and place the container in the microwave for around half a minute.
Make clear ice cubes
It
shouldn’t be that hard to make clear ice cubes. After all, you’re just
freezing clear water, right? Well, thanks to the minerals and dissolved
air in that H2O, your ice cubes will pretty much always turn out cloudy. Unless, that is, you boil the water twice first. And as you’ll see, the difference is staggering.
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