73 ultimate food hacks to make you a kitchen genius
Debra Waters
27 June 2017
Quick kitchen wins
These all-singing, all-dancing hacks will make preparing, cooking and eating food easier and more enjoyable.
For non-sticky plastic wrap that sticks
If you want plastic wrap to stick to a bowl or plate and not to you then keep it in the fridge or freezer – it makes the wrap much easier to use. Another tip: wet what the wrap has to cling to, such as the rim of a bowl, as this will help it stick.
For quick, cool summer drinks
Take a cupcake baking tin, add a slice of lemon or lime and perhaps some mint then top up with water and freeze. Add to jugs of water when you need a refreshing drink.
An easy way to clean grinders
To clean a spice or coffee grinder add some uncooked white rice and blend. The rice will absorb any leftover aromas and residue.
Thaw meat quicker
To thaw frozen packaged meat, prawns or fish faster without risking food poisoning place in a bowl and run room temperature water onto the produce to slowly defrost it.
For an inside-out cheeseburger
Make a hole in the middle of a meat patty before cooking, crumble some cheese in, squish the meat over, then cook. When you bite the burger there’ll be a lovely, oozing cheese center and no cheese dripping to clean off the grill.
Make two slow cooker meals simultaneously
Here’s how to make two dishes in a slow cooker at once. Make an aluminum foil ‘wall’ down the middle of the cooker then place a liner in each section before adding the ingredients for two separate meals.
To reheat pasta quickly
Use a microwave to reheat yesterday’s pasta leftovers by making a hole in the middle of the food beforehand to create a ring then flatten – this helps the food to cook more evenly.
Keep drinks bug-free
To stop bugs and wasps making a beeline for your al fresco drink turn a paper cupcake case upside down and rest it on top of the glass. Secure by pushing a straw through the middle. The paper hat will protect your drink.
A slick way to separate eggs
There are numerous ways to separate an egg yolk from white but this is one of the best – simply crack the egg into a bowl, take an empty plastic bottle, squeeze it slightly while placing the opening over the yolk and gently release. This suctions the yolk into the bottle. Tip the bottle so the yolk doesn’t fall out then tip the bottle carefully to release the yolk into another dish. Watch how here.
Use tongs to squeeze fruit
Use the sturdy arms of kitchen tongs to get more juice out of lemons, limes and oranges. Cut the fruit in half, place between the tong’s arms (not at the tong’s tip) and squeeze, holding on to the tong’s tips to stop the fruit from slipping.
Slice fruit and veg with ease
A quick way to slice whole soft veg and fruit such as mushrooms and strawberries is to use an egg slicer.
Microplane burnt bits away
If you’ve burnt part of a cake, cookies or toast then a quick go with a microplane grater will remove the charred bits.
Salt sweet food
Salted caramel has become a culinary phenomenon for good reason – sprinkling a few flakes of good quality sea salt on desserts and ice cream enhances sweetness. You can also add a pinch of salt to pies and jams during the cooking process.
For handy scallions
Scallions, or green onions, can be sliced or chopped as soon as they’re bought, put in a jar and kept in the fridge. This makes them easier to use, more convenient to store, and they last longer.
Pre-soak pasta for a quicker cook
If dried pasta is soaked in cold water for 60-90 minutes before being cooked in boiling salted water it rehydrates so well it only takes 1-2 minutes to cook. Some people argue it’s more like fresh pasta when prepared this way.
Divide ground meat before freezing
Separate ground meat into sections before freezing, either with a knife or the length of a chopstick, to create sections that can be broken off as and when needed.
For room temperature butter
A quick way to get rock hard refrigerated butter to room temperature is to grate it. This is especially useful for baking.
Make sticky ingredients work for you
To stop gooey ingredients such as honey and syrup sticking to spoons or measuring cups spray the implements with cooking spray first.
How to keep tomorrow’s sandwiches fresh
If you like to prepare sandwiches a day ahead make some up and put them in a plastic container, covered with wax or greaseproof paper and a damp piece of kitchen paper. Add an airtight lid then keep in the fridge. Take them out an hour or so before eating.
Best-ever sausage pasta hack
For a brilliant cheat’s dinner chop up some hot dogs then carefully push strands of dry spaghetti through the pieces. Cook the sausage pasta as normal, drain, and enjoy.
Peel ginger the easy way
Ginger can be tricky to peel but here’s how to do it. Take a teaspoon and scrape the side of it down the ginger – the thin papery skin comes away easily.
Resize deli meat
Find that your sandwiches suffer from deli meat overhang? A simple way to fit everything between two slices of bread is to fold a round slice of deli meat in half then a quarter and place the meat’s point into the corner of a piece of buttered bread. Repeat until the bread is covered (two-four slices depending on the size of the sandwich).
Eat salad with chopsticks
Salad can be tricky to eat with a fork and harder items such as nuts and cherry tomatoes are difficult to spear, so use chopsticks instead.
Say goodbye to sodden sandwiches
For a soggy-free sandiwch slice ‘wet’ foods such as cucumber and tomatoes and place between two pieces of kitchen paper for five minutes. This helps to soak up surplus juices. Another tip is to spread fat (butter, cheese, mayo) onto bread before adding wet ingredients – they act as a barrier against moisture.
Keep potatoes and onions apart
Both of these vegetables produce gases that cause the other to spoil so store separately in a cool, dry, dark place. Brown paper bags are good storage options.
Squeeze spinach with ease
Defrosted or cooked spinach tends to get waterlogged and squeezing out the excess water is a messy business. Instead of using your hands or a colander put the veg in a potato ricer and squeeze gently.
Spiralize your salad
A spiralizer or peeler will create ribbons of carrots, cucumbers and zucchinis, turning a salad into an attractive, fashionable dish.
Take the edge off raw onions
The smell and taste of raw onions can overshadow certain dishes but chopping then submerging them in ice cold water for 10-20 minutes before patting dry and using will provide an oniony taste that isn’t overwhelming.
How to extend the life of salad greens
The best way to give delicate salad leaves longevity is to wash them, spin in a salad spinner and pat with kitchen paper. Once dry wrap the leaves loosely in paper towels and place in a plastic bag. Remove any air and store in the bottom of the fridge.
Make meat dishes meatier
Sounds odd, but the savory flavor of anchovies enhances the meatiness of meat so they’re often added to soups, stews, chilis and bolognese. If you don’t have any anchovies try a couple of teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce or Asian fish sauce.
A wine cooler with a difference
To keep drinks such as white wine and champagne cool without diluting them with ice cubes, freeze grapes, blackcurrants, blackberries and blueberries and add to drinks.
Not loving the squashed bread look?
Soft fresh bread such as baguettes is easily flattened when it’s cut. A simple trick: turn the bread over and saw the bread using a serrated knife from the bottom side up for perfect discs of bread.
A trick for keeping herbs fresh
Can’t get through fresh herbs before they start to go off? Chop them up, add to ice cube trays then pour over water, oil, melted butter or stock until the herbs are covered, then freeze. Don’t forget to label the trays.
A way to save watermelon
Leftover watermelon? There’s no need to discard it – simply inset a popsicle stick or wooden skewer into the rind and into the fruit and freeze for a simple, cooling, waste-free snack.
Checking eggs are fresh
Not sure if your eggs are safe to eat? Put them in a bowl or pan of cool water: if they drop to the bottom they’re good to go; if they float they’re past their best.
Cheese on toast without a grill
Grilling cheese on toast means you have to watch constantly in case it burns – instead make a melted cheese sandwich using a thin slice of cheese between slim pieces of bread and cook in a wide-slot toaster.
Clean the BBQ without chemicals
Who needs cleaning spray when half an onion will do just as well in getting cooked sticky bits of food off a hot grill? Cut an onion in half through the middle (rather than lengthways) then rub the grill with the onion’s flat side.
Cutting cake cleanly
Don’t bother with a knife – cake tends to stick to the blade when slicing. Use unscented dental floss instead for a clean cut every time (it works like a cheese wire on soft cheese too).
Don’t discard day-old bread
If day-old fresh bread is going stale, sprinkle water on it and put it in a hot oven for a few minutes to soften.
Don’t have a pestle and mortar?
Don’t panic – instead, use a plastic bag and a rolling pin to crush ingredients.
Extend the life of avocados
Once they’re ripe, stop avocados turning to mush by storing them on a fridge shelf – this trick can give your avocados an extra four day’s grace.
Fashion an all-in-one condiment holder
Limited table space? Don’t bother with lots of bottles; instead squeeze your different sauces into the different sections of a mini-muffin or cupcake tin and place in the middle of the table. Ideal for al fresco dining.
Perfect pastry every time
Always chill pastry, wrapped, for at least half an hour before using – this makes it easier to roll out and prevents it from shrinking in the cooking process. It can be frozen too.
Fuss-free peeled garlic
Cut your fingers finely slicing garlic? Hate cleaning the crusher? Separate garlic cloves then shake them energetically inside two metal or enamel bowls held together. The skin just comes away.
Make clear ice cubes
Prefer your ice cubes crystal clear rather than cloudy white? Boil the water before adding it to ice cube trays.
Get maximum flavor from your herbs and spices
Gently frying dried herbs and spices for a couple of minutes before adding to a recipe intensifies the aroma and flavor. If the dish has a vegetable base (such as chopped onions, garlic or celery), add the herbs to those and cook before adding meat or liquid.
Batch-cooking baby food
If you’re weaning your baby with fresh fruit and vegetables but don’t have the time (or energy) to cook from scratch every day, simply make a batch of puree and add it to ice cube trays – freezing preserves the nutrients. Take out and slowly heat in a pan then allow to cool before using.
Get the most from your roast
If cooking a joint of meat, remove it from the fridge half an hour before cooking. Meat prepared at room temperature cooks much more evenly and to the correct cooking time.
How not to waste wine
It's unusual but if you have leftover wine pour the remains into ice cube trays and freeze; the wine cubes can then be added to stews, chili, stocks and risottos for added depth of flavor.
Get more juice from citrus fruits
If your lemons or limes are a bit hard, microwave them for 10-30 seconds then slice for juicy fruit.
How to tell fish is fresh
Want to know if the fish you’ve just bought really is truly fresh and has never been frozen? Put it in a bowl of water to see if it floats – fresh fish will.
Get the most from condiments
Despair about the amount of sauce left in plastic bottles but can’t squeeze it out? Let the sauce drain to the end opposite the cap then carefully cut open the bottle with scissors or a sharp knife and scrape out the remainder.
Hull strawberries the easy way
First fluff up the leaves so they’re not flat then gently but firmly insert a drinking straw into the bottom of the fruit and push up to remove the hull (center part) and leaves.
Stop the saltshaker clogging up
Add a couple of grains of rice to salt – the rice absorbs moisture that can dampen the salt and clog up the shaker.
Know when avocados are ripe
Look at the small stem attached to the top of the fruit – what you’ll see is a reflection of what’s inside. If it’s tricky to remove, the fruit isn’t ready to eat; if it’s green underneath it’s good to go; if it’s brown underneath the avocado is overripe.
Make fried eggs more interesting
Want to impress that little someone in your life? Put heatproof cookie cutters of any shape (hearts, animals and so on) into a frying pan and crack in an egg for a cute and quirky breakfast. No cutters to hand? Use a thick ring of onion instead for the perfect round oeuf.
Make homemade tortilla chips
Cut ready-made round tortillas into eight diamonds, lightly brush with vegetable oil and salt and lay on a baking tray. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for up to 10 minutes until the edges start to curl up but the middle is still soft – they’ll crisp up when they cool.
Taco shells you can make at home
Soften flat round tortillas by laying them on a damp cloth and microwaving on high power for 30 seconds, then hang each one over two bars of an oven rack in an oven heated to 375°F (190°C) for up to 10 minutes until they set into the classic taco shell shape.
Create buttermilk substitutes
Want to make a recipe that requires buttermilk but don’t have any to hand? Add a tablespoon of lemon or white vinegar to a cup of milk and leave for 10 minutes at room temperature – the mix (including the curdled bits) can be used as a buttermilk substitute. Three parts sour cream to one part water also works.
Only used egg yolk?
Don’t discard the egg white – it can be frozen and used later. Don’t forget to note how many are in the container.
Keep supermarket fish fresh
If you buy fish that’s covered in plastic wrap remove the packaging as soon as possible, wash it carefully in cold water, pat dry then put in the fridge covered with a plate. This allows air to circulate around the raw fish, keeping it fresh for longer.
Over-salted a recipe?
If you’re cooking a dish such as a stew, curry or soup and it’s too salty, just peel and slice a potato or two and add – the tubers will absorb a lot of the saltiness. Alternatively, if you’re able to add dairy such as milk or yogurt, or coconut milk, without spoiling the recipe the creaminess will balance out the flavor. No potatoes or dairy in the house? Make a firm dough from flour and water, roll into small balls and add; they too will absorb the saltiness.
Prevent brown sugar going hard
Simply add a couple of marshmallows to a packet or jar of brown sugar to keep it soft.
Ripen bananas quickly
There are a few nifty ways to ripen bananas: put unpeeled bananas in a brown paper bag – ethylene in the fruit will build up, stimulating the ripening process. Add a tomato or apple to the bag to speed it up. This method takes around a day so for quicker results place bananas in an oven heated to 300°F (150°C), checking every 10 minutes (for up to 50 minutes) until the banana skins have turned black, then you have ripe bananas perfect for cooking with.
Stop bananas ripening quickly
Some of us have the opposite problem and find our fruit ripens before we’ve had a chance to eat it. To avoid this happening separate the bananas from the shared stem and keep them away from other fruit, which can speed up the ripening process.
Slice tear-free onions
Suffer from teary eyes when chopping onions? Putting them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes beforehand will help prevent onions for bringing on the waterworks.
Stop avocado flesh turning brown
Here’s how to stop the avocados from discoloring – simply brush the exposed flesh with either mild-tasting olive oil or lemon juice and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Remove shell from cracked eggs
Ever cracked an egg and found some shell in the bowl? The eggs’ slipperiness makes it tricky to remove. Try these tips: use one half of the cracked eggshell to scoop out the offending article (jagged halves are better as they cut through the egg white) or wet your fingers with water and remove.
Stop meat sticking to the pan
If you brush meat with oil before cooking, rather than the pan or rack, it won’t stick.
Prep potatoes ahead
Stop your peeled potatoes going brown by covering them with cold water and putting them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook.
Store veg so it lasts longer
Vegetables will last longer in the fridge if they’re kept in sealed plastic bags and stored in the drawers.
Make sweet sushi
Kids will love this and it’s a great snack for adults too. Peel a banana then spread peanut butter, Nutella, or melted chocolate along the top. Sprinkle on a topping of your choice – crushed nuts or desiccated coconut work well – and press down, then allow to set in the fridge. Remove and slice with a sharp knife.
Ways to remove that fishy smell
When cooking seafood, remove the fishy odor from your hands and utensils by rubbing lemon juice or salt on them.
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