04/11/2024
Here are some cooking tricks and hacks that can make your time in the kitchen faster, more efficient, and more enjoyable:
1. Prep Ingredients in Advance
- Prepping ingredients ahead of time, like washing and chopping vegetables or marinating proteins, makes cooking faster and helps avoid last-minute stress.
2. Keep a Garbage Bowl Nearby
- Use a bowl to collect peels, trimmings, and waste as you cook to keep your workspace clean and avoid multiple trips to the trash.
3. Soften Butter Quickly
- If you forgot to take butter out of the fridge, cut it into small cubes to soften it faster, or grate it with a cheese grater to speed up the process.
4. Easily Peel Garlic
- Crush garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife to loosen the skin, making it much easier to peel. You can also put garlic in a jar and shake it hard to loosen the skins.
5. Use a Damp Towel to Stabilize Your Cutting Board
- Place a damp paper towel or cloth under your cutting board to prevent it from slipping, making chopping safer and more precise.
6. Keep Herbs Fresh Longer
- Store fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro in a glass of water in the fridge (like a bouquet), covering them loosely with a plastic bag to keep them fresh for days longer.
7. Use Kitchen Shears for Easy Chopping
- Kitchen scissors are great for cutting herbs, slicing pizza, and even cutting chicken or bacon quickly without needing a cutting board.
8. Prevent Potatoes from Browning
- After peeling and cutting, keep potatoes in cold water until you’re ready to cook them. This prevents browning and keeps them fresh.
9. Grate Frozen Butter for Pastries
- If you’re making pie crust or biscuits, freeze butter and then grate it into your flour. This keeps the butter cold and makes it easier to incorporate, resulting in flakier pastries.
10. Quickly Ripen Bananas
- Place bananas in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 15-20 minutes to ripen them quickly if you need them for baking.
11. Avoid Overboiling with a Wooden Spoon
- Place a wooden spoon across the top of a boiling pot to prevent it from boiling over. The spoon breaks the bubbles and keeps messes at bay.
12. Peel Ginger with a Spoon
- Use the edge of a spoon to scrape off ginger skin. This method wastes less and is easier than using a knife.
13. Use a Microplane for Garlic and Ginger
- Instead of mincing garlic or ginger by hand, use a microplane grater for a finer and quicker result. It’s great for sauces and marinades.
14. Roll Citrus Fruits to Release More Juice
- Roll lemons, limes, and oranges on the counter while pressing down to release more juice. This is especially helpful when squeezing by hand.
15. Make a Quick Pan Sauce
- After cooking meat, add some broth, wine, or vinegar to the pan with a bit of butter to make a delicious sauce from the leftover browned bits.
16. Freeze Leftover Wine or Broth in Ice Cube Trays
- Freeze leftover wine, broth, or even herbs in olive oil in ice cube trays. They’re perfect for adding flavor to soups, stews, and sauces without opening a new bottle or carton.
17. Use Parchment Paper for Easy Cleanup
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent food from sticking and make cleanup easy.
18. Rescue Over-Salted Dishes
- If you accidentally oversalt a dish, try adding a bit of acidity (like lemon juice or vinegar) or a starchy ingredient (like potatoes or rice) to absorb some of the salt.
19. Grate Vegetables for Faster Cooking
- Grate vegetables like carrots, zucchini, or sweet potatoes to reduce cooking time in soups, stews, and stir-fries.
20. Make Use of Leftover Pasta Water
- Save a cup of pasta water before draining. The starchy water can help thicken and bind pasta sauces for a creamy texture.
21. Chill Your Mixing Bowl for Whipped Cream
- If you’re making whipped cream, chill the mixing bowl and beaters beforehand to help it whip up faster and hold its shape better.
22. Use a Bench Scraper for Easy Cleanup
- Use a bench scraper to collect chopped ingredients or clean up flour and scraps on your cutting board quickly.
23. Defrost Meat Faster
- Place vacuum-sealed or tightly wrapped meat in a bowl of cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. This is much faster than letting it sit in the fridge.
24. Cook Bacon in the Oven
- Avoid the stovetop mess by baking bacon on a sheet in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes. It’s less messy and cooks more evenly.
25. Use the Blender for Pancake Batter
- If you’re making pancakes or waffles, mix your batter in a blender. It’s faster, creates fewer lumps, and is easy to pour directly into the pan.
Using a few of these tricks can make cooking less time-consuming and help you enjoy the process even more. Try these hacks out and improve your cooking outcome.
