Hey ya’ll…it’s August and I thought I’d begin the month by giving you 20 Essential Tips To Use In Your Kitchen. Time is precious and seems like there is never enough of it. Even when you plan out your day, doesn’t it seem the day gets away from you? You make a list of everything needed to be accomplished on a particular day and somehow things get moved to the next day’s list. Well “such is life” as my Mom used to always say and as I get older this saying becomes more true.
20 Essential Tips To Use in Your Kitchen
In celebration of saving time, money, and enjoying the extra time you’ll have to cook your favorite meals, checkout my list of kitchen tips. I use these tips as shortcuts in my own meal prep. First of all, trust me when I say these tips will save your life in the kitchen. Some are relatively new and others are from many years of reading two of my favorite food magazines like Fine Cooking and Cuisine At Home.
New tips are created everyday but I use my tips until something better comes along. Should you already be using any of these essential tips then good food hits your table more often I’m guessing. But if any tips are new to you, start using them the next time you cook a meal. Some tips you may use more often and some not at all. My job is to help you create memorable meals without stressing how long the recipe will take to make. Enjoy food that will look better, taste better and most importantly, saving you time. Read on for my most used kitchen tips. Leave me a comment and share your favorite kitchen tips.
20 Essential Tips To Use In Your Kitchen
20 Essential Tips To Use In Your Kitchen
- To keep vegetables like broccoli that beautiful green, blanch broccoli spears for 5 minutes in boiling water. Remove to ice-cold water to stop cooking process. This allows green vegetables to stay green and not turn that ugly green color. Drain and continue with your recipe as written. I use this tip quite often.
- It’s berry season and we want them to stay fresh longer. Store washed berries in a single row, stem end down in paper towel-lined storage containers.
- Cleaning a pineapple is tricky at best. Get less waste by using a grapefruit spoon to remove eyes after peeling.
- Chopping blocks of chocolate for a recipe can be a chore. Use a large serrated edge knife instead of a chef’s knife. A serrated edge keeps chocolate from flying all over the counter because it hugs the chocolate. Flat edges knives make it splatter all over.
- Use a melon baller to clean membrane from bell peppers for stuffed peppers. Cut off top and scrape inside with melon baller.
20 Essential Tips To Use In Your Kitchen
- Do you have leftover tomato paste and wonder what to do with the rest? Measure by tablespoonfuls and place on a plate in your freezer. Once frozen, drop into Ziploc freezer bags or containers until needed.
- Need to freeze cooked rice for later use. Freeze measured portions while cooked rice is still warm. Perfect when planning meals for the week ahead.
- Planning meals for the week is made easier by prepping ahead of time. Cut vegetables like onion, peppers, carrots, and celery into desired size according to a recipe. Store each in an airtight storage container until ready to use. They will last 3 to 5 days.
- How many cutting boards do you have? One for fruits and one for vegetables? Buy one board and write fruits on one side and vegetables on the other. Both sides are used but no onion tasting berries.
- Want perfect oven roasted vegetables? Preheat a baking sheet or cast iron skillet for 15 minutes. Coat veggies with Olive oil, salt, pepper, and other desired herbs and seasonings. Place in pan or skillet and roast as desired.
20 Essential Tips To Use In Your Kitchen
- Cookie recipe makes too many at once? Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place dough balls in single layer. Freeze dough until firm, about 1 hour. Place frozen dough into Ziploc plastic bags and return to freezer. To prepare, place frozen dough on cookie sheet and bake as instructed. Bake cookies whenever you want.
- Not sure if your baking powder is still good? Fill a measuring cup or clear glass with warm water. Drop a pinch of powder in water and if it fizzes, the baking powder is okay to use. However, if it does not fizz, throw powder away and purchase new.
- Measuring sticky liquids like syrup, molasses, or honey? Lightly oil your measuring cup prior to adding in liquid. Sticky ingredients will run right out Do not apply a thick coating because you don’t want to add more oil to recipe if it’s not called for.
- Bacon not crispy when wrapped around seafood? Precook bacon just before crispy. Refrigerate overnight and wrap seafood the next day, securing with toothpicks.. Bacon will crisp up as it cooks.
- Don’t eat many eggs much and not sure how fresh they are? Test for freshness by placing an egg into a tall glass or measuring cup. If egg stays on bottom, they are fresh. If they float to top, throw them away and purchase fresh ones.
20 Essential Tips To Use In Your Kitchen
- Peel garlic easier by placing cloves in cold water for 20 minutes. Peel come right off. Continue with your recipe as needed. No more stinky hands.
- Reuse empty spice jars and bottles. Bought bulk spices and need storage? Wash and reuse empty jars for spices and sugars and Worcestershire bottles for oils. Label as needed.
- Large packages of spinach can be a chore to keep fresh. Wash and dry fresh spinach then store in air-tight container. Place a dampened paper towel on top of spinach. Spinach will stay fresh up to 2 weeks.
- Do you use metal skewers for kabobs? Protect yourself from those protruding sharp ends with your wine corks. Just stick pointed end into wine cork. No more accidental finger pricks.
- Love grilling lobster tails but want them to stay straight and not curl when cooked? Push bamboo skewers straight through lobster tail before grilling. Cut skewers to length of tail once inserted but not too short that you can’t remove it before serving.
20 Essential Tips To Use In Your Kitchen
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