Section ground meat before freezing
Are you fed up with the idea of using an entire package of ground beef? There's a simple solution you might not have thought of. Just divide the ground beef into portions before cooking and freeze any leftovers you don't plan to use. This way, you can take out only what you need without having to thaw the entire package, preventing any waste. It's a surefire method that will make you wonder why you didn't think of it sooner!
Reuse pickle brine
Place small slices of fresh cucumber into the leftover pickle brine in the jar and keep it in the refrigerator for a few days to create quick, crunchy pickles. You can also add other vegetables such as green beans, garlic, carrots, or radishes. For optimal results, briefly par-boil these vegetables before pickling to accelerate the process.
Wet your fingers to remove eggshell
Got stray shell fragments in your broken egg? Simply wet your finger before trying to remove them. The water will create a magnetic effect, allowing the shell to adhere to your finger without the need to hunt for it in the bowl.
Make limp celery crisp again with a knife and cold water
Cut off the top and bottom of the celery (removing it from the root if it's still connected) and place the stalks upright in a pitcher or jar filled with ice-cold water to refresh their crispness. This method can also be used for storing celery. The ice water technique is effective for reviving wilted broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, lettuce, and spinach as well—so don’t hesitate to try it on other vegetables to see what you can rejuvenate!
Use aluminum foil to make crispy bacon without the mess
Forget the cast iron skillet. Instead, line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil (or use two layers of foil) crimped at 1-inch intervals to create a makeshift bacon rack. Elevating the bacon prevents it from sitting in grease and allows hot air to circulate, ensuring it cooks and crisps evenly. Once the bacon is done, just toss the foil for a mess-free cleanup — leaving you with delicious, crispy bacon. After this, you'll be eager to explore these other aluminum foil tricks for easy cooking.
Grate butter instead of slicing it
When a recipe instructs you to "dot" with butter, like in a fruit crisp or a casserole topped with breadcrumbs (which enhances richness and promotes browning), try grating chilled butter using the large holes of a flat grater. This technique produces uniform pieces that are easier to distribute evenly. By doing this, the butter spreads throughout the dish rather than forming clumps, ensuring that every bite is consistently moist instead of having some overly dry areas. This method guarantees that everything turns out just right. Impressed? You might want to explore these other inventive uses for your cheese grater.
Use your vegetable peeler for foods other than veggies
Utilize it to create curls from a stick of chilled butter or dark chocolate, slice cheese ultra-thin for effortless browning, remove the flavorful outer layer of lemon and lime peels (without the pith) for cocktail garnishes, or cut long strips of root vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, beets, or rutabagas to crisp up for easy vegetable chips. Exploring in the kitchen can be incredibly enjoyable, and a vegetable peeler is the perfect tool for experimenting. The only limits are your own creativity.
Use cooking spray before measuring sticky ingredients
Measuring ingredients such as peanut butter can be quite exasperating—sometimes it feels like an uphill battle just to extract everything from the tablespoon. However, when dealing with thick, sticky substances like honey or peanut butter, a simple trick is to spray your measuring cups with nonstick cooking spray. This allows the ingredients to slide out effortlessly. It's one of those clever hacks that, once you discover it, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it.
Prevent freezer burn by using smaller containers
There's nothing more disappointing than visiting your neighborhood grocery store or supermarket only to discover that the frozen section is plagued by freezer burn. But what do you do when your ice cream at home suffers the same fate? If your ice cream has been around long enough to develop freezer burn, consider cutting down the container as you enjoy it. This way, the lid will still fit the smaller container, minimizing the amount of air that comes into contact with the ice cream (which is the main cause of freezer burn).
Scrape the skin off of ginger with a grapefruit spoon
Ginger is a fantastic enhancement to a variety of dishes, yet it can be quite challenging to prepare. This is due to the plant's irregular skin, which renders vegetable peelers ineffective for peeling ginger. Although you can purchase pre-prepared ginger, a grapefruit spoon might be the perfect tool to tackle the peeling process. Unlike a vegetable peeler, which struggles to navigate the knobby nooks and crannies, a grapefruit spoon can easily handle those tricky spots!
Squeeze spinach with a sushi mat or potato ricer
Pressing thawed spinach in a strainer or squeezing it in a paper towel can be messy and inefficient. A more effective method is to roll the spinach in a sushi mat lined with a paper towel or gently press it in a potato ricer to remove excess water. This technique is particularly useful for dishes like spinach lasagna, spinach dip, and other recipes that require thawed and drained frozen spinach.
Test your baking powder with hot water
Baking powder and baking soda can retain their effectiveness for as long as 18 months, depending on humidity and the seal of the container. Unsure about the age of your container? You can check the freshness of your baking powder or baking soda with a tip from chef Julia Child. Simply mix a teaspoon of baking powder into 1/2 cup of hot water; if it fizzes, it’s still good to use. If there’s no reaction, it’s time to toss it out and grab a new one from the store.
Butter corn using a pot of water
If you find the traditional method of buttering corn too messy, simply add tablespoons of cut, unsalted butter directly into the pot of hot water after you've taken out the boiled corn. Use just under 1 tablespoon for each ear of corn. The melted butter will rise to the surface, allowing you to use tongs to dip and swirl the corn in the buttery goodness.
Pre-scoop or slice ice cream
How have you managed to get this far in life serving rock-solid ice cream the traditional, wrist-straining scoop-by-scoop method? How did you miss the fact that you can (and should) slice it or pre-scoop the softened ice cream into muffin tins and then refreeze it? Clearly, you haven't been enjoying or serving enough ice cream. That’s about to change.
Repurpose your green juice pulp
When you prepare "green juice" — a blend of vegetables — you can repurpose the shredded pulp that your juicer discards for more than just compost. While this clever tip isn't applicable to citrus or fruit juice remnants, it's an excellent way to minimize waste and maximize the benefits of your produce. Incorporating the pulp into your next smoothie enhances its fiber content, or you can mix it into soup to thicken it and enrich it with essential nutrients.
Slice a bell pepper from the side
Have you been trimming the tops and bottoms of your bell peppers, only to end up with those awkward round pieces that don’t dice evenly? Instead, consider slicing the bell peppers from side to side. This method reduces waste and produces a much more appealing julienne cut.
Speed-ripen bananas using the oven
You crave banana bread, and you want it immediately. Not later, not next week — you want it right now. However, all you have are a bunch of almost-green, unripe bananas. Fortunately, there's a simple trick to transform those green bananas into perfectly ripe ones, ready for baking. Just pop them in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes, and — voilà — you'll have quick-ripened, wonderfully sweet, and gooey bananas. Just remember to steer clear of these common banana bread pitfalls.
Remove wine cork shrapnel with a straw
If your cork breaks apart and leaves crumbs floating on the surface of the bottle (or glass), you can use a straw to retrieve the bits. Simply insert the straw into the bottle, positioning the end over a piece of cork. Seal the other end of the straw with your finger to create a vacuum, and then lift out the cork fragments.
Start a kitchen herb garden in recycled egg cartons
You've come across countless innovative ideas for repurposing cardboard egg cartons — from DIY bird feeders to compost scraps and packing material — but this recycling technique offers a gift that keeps on giving. Egg cartons serve as an excellent foundation for cultivating an herb garden, allowing herb seedlings to flourish into a delightful array of fresh, flavorful herbs.
Hull strawberries with a straw
Many of us rely on a paring knife to cut the top off a perfectly ripe strawberry, but you can actually use a straw to push out the stem and core. This technique, a handy strawberry hack you might wish you had discovered earlier, preserves the integrity of the fruit and reduces waste.
Use a hanger as a cookbook holder
Traditional rack-style cookbook holders can occupy valuable counter space in certain kitchens. However, the two clips on a pants hanger are ideally sized to secure magazines, printed recipes, and small cookbooks. Simply hang the hanger from any cabinet knob or shelf in your kitchen for a convenient solution.
Make your frosting look like fondant with a paper towel
Forget about expensive tools or tricky fondant. If you're aiming for a satin-smooth cake surface, discover how to achieve a fondant-like finish with the most affordable kitchen item: a paper towel. Just gently swirl the paper towel over the frosting to produce a beautiful, organic effect. Plus, cleanup is a breeze—just toss the used paper in the trash.
Pit cherries with a chopstick
If you've ever struggled with those cherry-pitting tools, you understand the frustration: forcing a plump, ripe cherry into the pitter often bruises or damages the fruit. This technique employs a chopstick and a bottle to ensure a tidy process and preserve the cherries' appearance. Simply position your cherry on the opening of a glass bottle, and gently press down with a chopstick. This will push the pit into the bottle, allowing for effortless cleanup and perfectly intact cherries every time.
Use an egg slicer to slice mushrooms (or strawberries)
An egg slicer is a delightful tool for achieving perfectly sliced eggs, but its name doesn't limit its use. Experiment with your versatile egg slicer on mushrooms or even strawberries — you'll consistently enjoy beautifully thin slices!
Use your microplane grater on burnt bits
You may believe that a microplane grater is only meant for zesting fruits like oranges and lemons, but it has a hidden secondary function that can be extremely useful. If you accidentally overbake a dessert, it can easily become burnt. Fortunately, a microplane grater is an excellent tool for removing those charred portions from your baked treats, ensuring they look flawless.
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