While cooking at home can be fun, it can also be tricky. A few smart tips can make cooking easier, faster, and more enjoyable, no matter how experienced or new to the kitchen you are. The goal of these seven cooking tips is to save you time, reduce waste, and make your food taste better.
1. Keep Your Herbs Fresh Longer
Fresh herbs can make any dish taste better, but they can go stale quickly. Treat your herbs like flowers to extend their shelf life. Cut off the stems and place the herbs in a glass of water. Cover the herbs loosely with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator. If you want to store herbs with woody stems, such as rosemary and thyme, wrap them in a damp paper towel and reseal the bag. This simple trick will help extend the shelf life of your herbs by up to a week, so you’ll always have fresh herbs on hand.
2. Easily Peel Garlic
Peeling garlic can be tedious and time-consuming. Place the garlic cloves in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for 15 to 20 seconds. This will make things easier. The heat will help the skins come off more easily. You can also place the cloves in a metal bowl, cover it with another metal bowl, and shake vigorously for a few seconds. The skin will remain on the cloves when they come out.
3. Soften Butter Quickly
Did you forget to take butter out of the fridge before using it in a recipe? No problem! There are several ways to soften butter quickly without melting it. You can cut the butter into small pieces and spread it out on the plate. Butter melts faster because it has a larger surface area. Another method is to place the butter between two pieces of parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin. If you’re in a hurry, you can use a cheese grater to grate the butter. The small pieces will soften quickly and you can use them in your recipes right away.
4. Peel Ginger with a Spoon
Peeling ginger with a regular peeler or knife is tricky because of the uneven surface. Use the edge of a spoon to remove the skin. Using this method makes it easier to get into the cracks and crevices of the ginger root and creates less waste. Simply hold the ginger in one hand and scrape off the skin with a spoon. This is a quick and easy way to prepare ginger for cooking or juicing.
5. Prevent Pots from Boiling Over
There’s nothing worse than a pot of soup or pasta boiling over and making a mess on the stove. To prevent this, place a wooden spoon on the pot. When the bubbles reach the top, a wooden spoon will pop them out, preventing them from overflowing. You won’t have a sticky, starchy mess to clean up after using this simple trick.
6. Keep Your Cutting Board in Place
Using a sliding cutting board can be dangerous and annoying. Wet a paper towel or kitchen towel and place it under the cutting board to hold it in place. Moisture will cause the boards to stick together, preventing them from moving while you chop and slice. This tip eliminates the need to read the dial, making your cooking safer and faster.
7. Make Perfectly Round Pancakes
If you’re having trouble making round pancakes, try a squeeze bottle. Simply pour the pancake batter into the bottle and squeeze it out into circles on the skillet. This gives you more control over the shape and size of your pancakes. Your pancakes will always be round and cooked to perfection. You can also create fun shapes and patterns with squeeze bottles, making breakfast more fun for kids and adults alike.
Conclusion
Cooking at home doesn’t have to be difficult. These seven kitchen tips will speed up the cooking process, reduce waste, and make your food taste better. Simple yet useful tips that every home cook should know include how to keep herbs fresh, peel garlic and ginger easily, soften butter quickly, prevent pots from boiling, store cutting boards safely, and make perfect pancakes. By following these tips, cooking will become more fun and less stressful for you. Try these tips and you will see how good you can be at cooking!
FAQs
1. How do I soften butter quickly?
Cut the butter into small pieces and spread it on the board to soften it quickly. Place the butter between two pieces of parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin. You can also use a cheese grater to grate it. These methods give the butter a larger surface area, which makes it soften faster.
2. What is the best way to peel ginger?
Use the edge of a spoon to remove the skin from the ginger. Using this method instead of a knife or vegetable peeler makes it easier to get around the uneven surface of the ginger and also reduces waste.
3. How do I keep the pot from overflowing?
Place a wooden spoon over the top of the pot to keep it from boiling. When the bubbles reach the top, a wooden spoon will pop them out, preventing them from overflowing.
4. How do I keep the cutting board from moving?
Wet a paper towel or kitchen towel and place it under the cutting board to hold it in place. The moisture creates friction, which keeps the board from moving while you chop.
5. Is there an easy way to make round pancakes?
By putting pancake batter in a squeeze bottle, you can make pancakes in any shape or size you want. To keep the pancakes round and evenly heated, squeeze the batter over the stove into a circle. You can also create interesting shapes and designs using this process.
