We all want to save time and money in the kitchen. Even if you love cooking, like I do, you welcome ways to save where ever you can. From tips to storing fresh leafy greens to preventing onion tears, these genius kitchen tips and tricks are great for the home cook. Some of these tricks may have you asking, “Why didn’t I know that?”
I’d love to hear your tips and tricks too. Please tell me about them in the comments section below.
- Slice leafy herbs or greens with ease. Stack the leaves on top of each other and roll into a cigar shape. Slice across the roll.
- Have leftover sauce or fresh herbs? Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays. Freeze fresh herbs with olive oil to use for future recipes. This works for fresh garlic too.
- Keep greens fresher longer. Store fresh greens and lettuce inside a plastic bag with a piece of paper towel. The towel will absorb moisture and keep the greener fresher.
- Save vegetable scraps to save money. Freeze carrot and celery ends, fennel pieces, potato peels, and other vegetable scraps in a resealable plastic bag. When you have a full bag, make vegetable stock.
- Cut grapes or cherry tomatoes in a hurry. Place them on a plate and top with an additional plate, leaving a gap between the plates. Take a large knife and slice through the gap and grapes/tomatoes all at once.
- Need a cherry pitter? Place a cherry on top of a small mouth bottle (like a soda bottle) and drive a chopstick through the cherry driving the pit into the bottle.
- Fruit will ripen faster, if you place it in a brown paper bag with an unpeeled banana after a day or two.
- To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with them
- Got smelly hands after chopping onions or garlic? Rub them on a stainless steel spoon. The steel will absorb the odor.
- How do I prevent onion tears? Wear swim goggles. They are a tight fit to prevent the fumes from causing tears.
- What’s the best way to peel a kiwi? Slice the top and bottom off, then wedge a spoon between the peel and flesh. Scoop out the flesh in a circular motion.
- Can I eat the outside of the kiwi? Yes, you can. It’s edible and full of fiber.
- Need to peel fresh ginger? Use a spoon to scrape against the ginger’s skin. The peel comes right off anf minimizes waste.
- Are your bananas over ripe? Peel them and store in a container in the freezer. You can use them for smoothies or banana bread.
- Need to perfectly slice a cake into layers? Use unscented dental floss to cut through food.
- Have a dish that is starting to burn on top before it’s done baking? Lay a piece of aluminimum foil on top and continue baking.
- Want crisp bacon without excessive shrinkage? Place on a broil pan and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until crisp.
- Need to slice meats extra thin? Freeze them for 15-20 minutes prior to slicing/cooking.
- Create homemade chicken broth for FREE. After roasting a chicken, place the chicken bones in the crockpot and cover with water. You can add leftover vegetable scraps from #4 too. Turn on low overnight and in the morning you’ll have homemade chicken bone broth.
- Did you over salt a pot of stew or soup? Add a peeled potato it the pot. It will absorb the excess salt. Discard it before serving.
- To prevent boiling water from boiling over, place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot. The spoon pops many of the bubbles once they come into contact with it and it absorbs some of the moisture.
- To prevent egg shells from cracking while boiling, add a pinch of salt to the water.
- Is your soup, sauce, or a casserole too fatty greasy? Drop an ice cube into it to attract the fat, then scoop them out.
- Need buttermilk for a recipe but don’t have any on hand? Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to 1 cup whole milk and let stand for 2-3 minutes. It makes a great substitute.
- Cottage cheese will remain fresher for longer, if you store it upside down in the refrigerator.
- Don’t throw away the rind from the Parmesan cheese. Add it to soups and stews for a burst of flavor.
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