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25 Amazing Cooking and Food Prep Hacks to Try in the Kitchen

Updated on August 16, 2017
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Cardia is a Barbadian University student who loves writing and helping others. Her topics include college experiences, DIY, and hair care.

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Food Preparation Hacks:

  • Can’t find your rolling pin? A wine bottle will do the job just as efficiently!
  • To yield more juice from limes and lemons, try massaging the fruit for a few minutes before cutting them.
  • When you’re measuring sticky liquids like honey or syrup, spray your measuring cup with non-stick spray to make for easier clean-up after.
  • Need to separate the yolk from the egg whites? Use a plastic bottle! Position the mouth of the bottle gently on the yolk, and squeeze the sides to pull it up into the bottle (thanks to the power of suction).
  • To successfully pick out those annoying pieces of eggshell from the rest of the yolk, first wet your fingers. You’ll be surprised how easily you’ll get the pieces out!

Chopping your veggies in advance can save you on preparation time!
Chopping your veggies in advance can save you on preparation time! | Source
  • Cooking a large meal? Try cutting and chopping up your veggies a day or two before the big day and storing them in the fridge in airtight bags and containers to keep them fresh. It’ll save you so much time.
  • Making hash browns? To make them crispier, try washing the grated potato before frying. You can do this by using a strainer.
  • Problems with your chopping board sliding around on your counter or table? Placing a damp paper towel under it will help keep it in place.
  • To save yourself time while peeling garlic cloves, put the entire garlic in an enclosed container, like a jar with a lid (or even two small bowls held together) and shake vigorously for ten to fifteen seconds. Afterwards, you should have fully peeled garlic! If it’s only partially peeled, shake again. Amazon also sells special gadgets to make garlic peeling easier and faster.



How to Peel Garlic Quickly:

frozen grapes - a sweet, easy treat!
frozen grapes - a sweet, easy treat! | Source

Sweets/Desserts Hacks:

  • Here’s a neat way to chill your wine without watering it down – freeze grapes, then plop one or two into your wine glass.
  • Make your breakfast cereal more interesting by pouring yoghurt over it instead of just regular milk.
  • Jell-O or flavoured gelatin powdered can be used to colour icing instead of food colouring.
  • Use cookie cutters to make your pancakes into awesome designs.
  • Make your pancakes extra special by adding various things into the mix – chocolate chips, banana chunks, blueberries, hot chocolate mix, tinned fruit – even orange juice!
  • Like your ice cream soft? Keep the container in a Ziploc bag!


delicious ramen!
delicious ramen! | Source

General Cooking Hacks:

  • Save time on cooking potatoes - Pop them in the microwave! Use a for to poke holes in them on all sides, and then put them on a microwave-safe plate for around 8-10 minutes (some microwaves come with a built in setting for cooking potatoes).
  • Ramen noodles don’t have to be boring – spice them up by adding ingredients like diced or tinned veggies, chopped meat, seasonings and sauces.
  • For wavy or curly bacon strips, dip them in cold water before frying.
  • A waffle iron can be used for making hash browns as an alternative to frying. t
  • If you’re grilling fish, put down a layer of lemon slices on the grill, then place the fish on top. It’ll prevent any problems with sticking to the grill, and you’ll get a rich infused lemon flavor!
  • When heating up leftover rice or pasta in the microwave, spread it out on the plate, leaving a small empty hole in the middle. It’ll heat up more evenly, and you won’t have “cold spots” in your food (Who likes that?).
  • Frozen meat is much easier to slice than thawed meat when you’re preparing stir-fries or stews.


Cleaning Up Hacks:

  • To get the smell of onion off your hands, rub some table salt in your handswhile under a running tap. The smell will be gone in no time! This tip came from the master chef Julia Child herself.
  • Stove-top grill racks are hard to clean afterwards. If possible, leave your grill soaking in soap water for a few hours. You’ll be able to just wipe the grime off.
  • Plastic food containers can pick up smells after constant usage. To get rid of these odours, simply fill the container with a mixture of white vinegar and water and leave it overnight.

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