Life Hacks for the kitchen.

Everyone loves a shortcut. What’s not to like? It saves you time, and effort. Win, win. Shortcuts in the kitchen can be tricky though. Some work, some don’t. Here are 8 Kitchen Life Hacks that work. They will save you time while performing some of the most common tasks in the kitchen.

1. How to Keep apples from turning brown:

All you have to do to prevent the apple slices from turning brown is pour a little ginger ale, or lemon-lime soda over the slices to prevent them from turning brown, and let them soak for about 10 minutes or so. Rinse the slices and store.

The oxygen in the air is what causes fruits and vegetables to turn brown after you slice them. The citric acid in the ginger ale or lemon-lime soda is an ant-oxidant which will prevent the browning effect. Your kids will appreciate the non-brown apple slices
.

Check out this video from Mr Food Test Kitchen as he shows you how to do this hack.

2. How to slice cherry tomatoes:

Many recipes and salads call for cherry tomatoes. The problem is they are so small, and slicing them is time-consuming. Here is the easiest way to slice them in bulk. Place your cherry tomatoes on a plate, or plastic lid.

Cover them with another plate, or plastic lid, making sure there’s about a ¼” of space between the plates using a sharp knife, slice horizontally between the plates. Voila, all your cherry tomatoes are sliced.

 

Check out this video from Chowhound to see how to do this hack.

3. Peeling garlic cloves:

I love using garlic in my recipes. The flavor is just out of this world. The problem is, the cloves are such a pain to peel (removing that papery covering). Here is a quick and efficient way of peeling 20-30 cloves at the same time.

Separate your garlic cloves from the bulbs and place them in a metal bowl. Cover the bowl with an equal size metal bowl. Shake vigorously for about 20-30 seconds. The papery covering on the bulbs fall right off. No joke, you have to try this hack.

Check out this video from Tasty as they show you how to do this hack.

4. Non-stick method for Grilling fish

One of the healthiest foods to eat is fish. Grilled salmon (or any other fish of choice) is a quick and healthy addition to your dinner or lunch menu. The problem I used to encounter when grilling my fish is that it stuck to my grill. Even on a low flame, I always seemed to end up with chunks of my fish on the grill. That is until I found out about this simple hack to prevent the fish from sticking to the grill.

Slice a lemon in 3 or 4 slices (scale to the size of your fish). Place the lemon slices on the grill (medium flame) for about 2 minutes. Place your fish on top of the lemon slices and grill. Flip your fish to grill evenly. You will see that the fish does not stick to the lemon slices, and it lends a nice flavor to your fish as well.

Check out this video from Tesco as they show you how to do this hack.

5. Easy way to peel a boiled egg

 I’m going to tell you about 2 different ways to peel a hardboiled egg.

The first method is for your own consumption, and when I explain you will see why it’s only for personal consumption. 

• Boil your eggs in a saucepan for about 12 minutes. Add a tsp of baking soda to the water to reduce the ph. After the eggs are boiled, add a few ice cubes to the pot. You then take your egg and gently tap the top of the egg on a countertop, do the same with the bottom, and remove about a fingernail-size piece of shell from both the top and the bottom. You then blow from either end of the egg where you removed the shell. The egg will easily separate from the shell (whole). No peeling necessary. I say this is for personal consumption because your mouth will come in contact with the egg. You don’t want to serve an egg that your mouth touched to guests.

Check out his video by Tim Ferris as he demonstrates this hack.

•  After boiling your egg in a saucepan for 12 minutes (don’t forget to add a tsp of baking soda), Remove the eggs. Place 1 egg in a small pot, or jar, cover with a lid or plate. You then shake the pot, or jar with the egg inside vigorously for about 10-15 seconds. The shell comes right off your egg. Amazing hack!

Check out this video from TheBargainHound as she demonstrates this hack.

6. How to Keep pots from boiling over

I hate when I’m cooking pasta, or any other dish that requires boiling water, and my pot boils over, making a mess of my stove that requires additional clean up, arghhh!!!!

The best and most simple method of preventing this from happening is simply placing a wooden spoon over the top of the open pot. The heating process of the water creates bubbles. The wooden spoon pops the bubbles and keeps your pot from boiling over, and most importantly, prevents the mess that comes with it. Winning!!!!!!

7. Making a grilled cheese sandwich in a toaster.

This is an old college trick we used to employ in the dorm to make a quick grilled cheese sandwich without having to break out a frying pan. (We were in college, who had time for that?)

Simply place your toaster on the side. Place a slice of bread with cheese and toast, until your cheese is melted, and your bread is toasted. It doesn’t get any easier than that!!!

Check out this video from ChrissyTheSpecialOne as she demonstrates this hack.

8. Keeping bread fresh 

If you’re like me, you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery. There is nothing like a fresh bread for breakfast. The problem is how do you keep it fresh after you have your initial slice or 2. This is a simple and easy way to ensure your bread stays fresh for days or even weeks after you first slice it.

Slice the loaf in even slices. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then place the cookie sheet in the freezer until the bread is completely frozen. Then remove the bread from the freezer and place them in an airtight freezer bag. Your bread will remain fresh for you to use whenever you are ready.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed and try out these amazing kitchen hacks. They will definitely make your life in the kitchen a little bit simpler and save you time. Happy Hacking!!!!!