From spreading butter from the fridge to veg you should peel with a SPOON – 20 household hacks to change your life
IF you can’t stand the heat, we’ve got some top tips to leave you looking cool in the kitchen. We told yesterday how the best way to open a jar is with rubber gloves, according to watchdog Which?. We’ve picked 20 fail-safe hacks – from microwaving lemons to chilling cling film – to make you […]
IF you can’t stand the heat, we’ve got some top tips to leave you looking cool in the kitchen.
We told yesterday how the best way to open a jar is with rubber gloves, according to watchdog Which?.
We’ve picked 20 fail-safe hacks – from microwaving lemons to chilling cling film – to make you a 5-star foodie expert.
A lot of bottle
Need to quickly separate a lot of egg whites?
We all know the eggshell method, which can be a bit slippery in a hurry.
Instead, try the empty water bottle trick.
Lightly squeeze it and place over the egg yolk.
As you release your grip, the yolk then gets sucked into the bottle.
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Walk on eggshells
There’s nothing more infuriating than trying to fish a bit of eggshell out of the yolk.
Next time you are a bit over-enthusiastic with your egg cracking there’s an easy solution.
Scoop out any wayward shell by using another piece.
Pom not bomb
Fancy some pomegranate but don’t want your kitchen looking like a horror movie?
The key to getting the edible seeds out quickly is to use a wooden spoon.
Cut the fruit in two and hold over a bowl while you bash to catch the seeds.
Brown and out
If you chop spuds ahead of time they can go a very unappetising grey or brown colour.
But you can easily avoid this without any extra washing up.
Put your tatties in a pan of cold water until it’s time to cook to keep them white.
Don’t go bananas
Only green unripe ones in the shops?
It’s not a problem if you pop your bananas in a paper bag from the fruit and veg aisle.
The ethylene gas released by the fruit will be trapped inside the bag and in a couple of days they will be the ripe side of yellow.
Throw in the towel
Chefs always place a damp tea towel under a chopping board.
This helps prevent dangerous slips and makes cutting up food much quicker.
You can also place a towel under a bowl when baking to avoid mess.
Slice of perfection
It’s the baker’s dilemma — let your bakes go stale or scoff them all at once?
You can make your cakes last longer by storing them in tupperware with a single slice of white bread.
It is moist enough to keep baked goods staying fresh for longer.
Film stars
If you are always struggling to find the end of your cling film, pop it in the fridge.
Chilling the plastic wrap for a while makes it less sticky and easier to peel.
Alternatively, if cling film isn’t sticking as much as you’d like, add a few drops of water.
Mallow out
Brown sugar has a nasty habit of going rock hard in your cupboard.
The molasses in the sugar can easily dry out, causing the sweet stuff to stiffen.
Simply pop a marshmallow or slice of apple in with your sugar to keep it nice and soft.
Lic’ of time
Save time peeling garlic by giving it a bit of welly.
Remove each clove from the bulb and bash them with a rolling pin or even the end of a wine bottle.
They’ll slip right out their skins.
Boil over foiled
Stop water from boiling over with this easy trick.
Next time you are cooking pasta or rice, lay a wooden spoon over the top of your pan.
Because wood doesn’t absorb water, it will repel any frothing if you take your eye off the hob.
’Av a go
Hipster dish avocados are best eaten whole — they go brown if you try to save half.
So do what Mexicans do and save the half with the stone for later so it stays good and green.
And if you want to make guacamole ahead of time, pop the stone in with it to keep it fresh.
Ginger nice
Peeling ginger can be a whole lot easier with the help of a teaspoon.
Using a knife or a peeler means you lose half the root along with its skin.
A teaspoon is the easiest way to scrape off it’s thin peel.
Spuddy marvel
If you own an apple slicer you could get more use out of it with some less healthy snacks.
You can also use the gadget to quickly make potato wedges with a lot less chopping.
Use it on either raw or cooled, parboiled potatoes to quickly slice before seasoning and roasting.
In stock
Have a little bit of stock left over from dinner?
Don’t let it go to waste, use an ice tray to save single portions of boiled-down stock.
Next time you are making soup or a stew drop one cube in for ease.
Use your nut
Stop the oil in your nut butters from separating with one simple move.
Place your peanut, cashew or almond butter in your kitchen cupboard upside down.
This stops the butter from splitting and means no more stirring before you spread on your toast.
Get juicy
Get even more juice from a lemon by microwaving it first.
Giving it a quick zap for 15 to 20 seconds softens up the citrus fruit making it easier to squeeze.
For an added juice boost, give the lemon a roll on your kitchen counter before heating.
Butter, but better
Softening butter can take ages, especially at this time of year when it is cooler.
A quick way to get your butter baking ready straight out the fridge is to use a cheese grater to shred it.
By reducing the surface area the butter will soften more quickly.
Micro-clean
Scrubbing your microwave can be done in just under two minutes.
Microwave a bowl of water for 30 seconds to a minute and carefully remove.
Afterwards, grime inside the machine should easily wipe away thanks to the added moisture.
Herb your enthusiasm
Fresh supermarket herbs often wilt within days.
But you can quickly put an end to that.
When you get home from the shops, place the herbs, such as thyme, basil or mint, stem first into a glass of water.
That should help them stay fresh for twice as long.
