The majority of us hate being in the kitchen even though we are well aware that cooking our meals is a healthier choice than eating out. But it’s not always easy, or enjoyable, to sauté up spinach night after night. So, we have rounded up a few time-saving kitchen tricks to make it way easier and far more fun to don your apron. After all, these quick and clever kitchen hacks will change how you cook for the better.
Material required: Bread, Honey, Water, Plastic wrap, Knife, Cold water, Wine.
Keep cookies soft: To keep cookies and other baked goods soft after baking, add a slice of store-bought white bread to an airtight container. Your cakes, cookies, and muffins will keep their day-one softness.
Save cut fruit from browning: You have probably heard that a little squeeze of lemon juice can keep apple slices from looking unappetising. A mixture of one part honey to two parts water works much the same way to keep fruit from browning. Ever wonder why this works? The citric acid and vitamin C in lemon juice and a peptide in honey slow down the oxidation process that causes discolouration.
Banana hack: Keep bananas fresh for longer by wrapping the end of the bunch with plastic wrap. Better yet, separate each banana. Both tactics block ethylene gases from releasing out of the stem, thereby ripening the fruit too fast.
Quickly soften butter: If you forget to take the butter out of the fridge to soften, don’t fret. You can soften it faster by chopping it into smaller pieces. Additionally, you set it in a warm spot in your kitchen.
Keep potatoes white: Cover shredded or diced potatoes with cold water before cooking to prevent the spuds from turning grey or brown. The discolouration is caused by the release of starch that makes them oxidise.
Freeze leftover wine: Don’t dump the rest of that Pinot or allow it to oxidise in the fridge for weeks. Pour the leftover wine into an ice cube tray, top with plastic wrap to keep ice crystals at bay, and freeze. The next day, you will have one-ounce portions that you can pop out and add to sauces, soups, risottos, and stews for nearly-instant depth of flavour.
