It is always great to cut down on the time we spend in the kitchen when we lead a busy lifestyle. We look at 18 of the best cooking hacks that will get you out of a pickle. The list is compiled using an online forum where one person was looking for some kitchen inspiration.
Reviving Vegetables
Many swear by bringing new life into veggies that look past their best. The trick is to put off the edges/ends of the vegetables and soak them in water to bring them back to life. One person online said that lukewarm water works best.
Quality Scissors
One person said that investing in a good pair of kitchen scissors is essential in reducing time in the kitchen. They come in handy for everything from sniping herbs to cutting open tricky packaging.
Lemon Juice
Most people who taste their food and think it is too bland will add salt only to find that the taste has not improved. Instead, one person recommends using lemon juice as the dish requires some acidity. Other people responded to this advice by saying vinegar can also work well, particularly in casseroles and curry dishes.
Salt
One great piece of advice went like this, “Salting your food 20-40 minutes before cooking makes a world of difference in the salt permeating the food.”
Brown Your Butter
When baking cookies, brown your butter for an extra buttery, caramel-like flavor. This is sound advice for one man with a sweet tooth.
Let Spices Marinate in Butter
Speaking of butter and baking, one genius person said that when a recipe calls for spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg she leaves them in the butter for a couple of hours to let the flavors truly infuse.
Leave a Potholder on the Handles of Cast iron Pans
This will let anyone who might put it away know it may be hot so they will avoid burning themselves
Sauté Onions and Garlic Separately
When a recipe asks you to sauté onions and garlic together, ignore this advice as the garlic is likely to burn. Instead, sauté the onions first and add the garlic before moving on to the next step.
Prep Your Food
When you know that you will be in a hurry, the key is to be prepared. This means buying your ingredients in advance, prepping the vegetables, marinating your meat, etc. This means that when it comes to making your meal, you have everything at hand, and you don’t risk burning one element while prepping another.
Clean as You Go
Your meal can be made much more quickly if you clean as you go, making it easy to get around the kitchen, and there is less time spent once you have eaten your meal.
Invest in Good Knives
Instead of hacking your way through your food prep, you should invest in good knives that make the whole process much easier and more enjoyable.
Use Coffee Instead of Water in Boxed Cakes
If you love boxed chocolate cake but want a more pronounced flavor, you should try using cooled coffee for a flavor boost.
Use a Piping bag for Taco Shells
Another genius idea from a handmade taco fan was to “mix the filling in a zip-top bag, then cut a corner off and use it as a makeshift piping bag to fill the shells.” We like this one!
Place a Damp Paper Towel Under Your Chopping Board
This will prevent the board from slipping, which can make prepping food quicker and will also reduce the chances of you cutting yourself.
Freeze Leftover Liquids
Whether you have leftover gravy, wine, or tomato sauce, pop it into a freezer bag or ice cube tray to be used another time.
Batch Cook Onions
Onions make so many dishes taste great, but recipes often call for them to be caramelized, which can take a long time. One person told people to “Buy a 5 lb bag of onions, caramelize all the onions at once, divide up into portions and package individually, then freeze.” Bingo!
Use an Ice Cream Soup for Squash Seeds
Instead of making a mess when deseeding pumpkins and squares, you can use an ice cream scoop, leading to much less mess.
Keep Grounded Flax Seeds in the Freezer
Grounded flax seeds are a great alternative to eggs and taste great in cakes and muffins. If you ever run out of fresh eggs, you will have a batch of seeds in your freezer. You need to mix the flaxseeds with water to make a runny paste.
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