Kitchen Hints and Tips - Let's list them!

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  • HealthfulLife
    HealthfulLife Posts: 28 Member
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    bump
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
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    Wet your kitchen sponge and put in the microwave on high for two minutes to sanitize it. It should foam up and get very hot. It takes away that kitchen sponge smell and associated bacteria. Do it every day.
  • santasmrs
    santasmrs Posts: 12 Member
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    To deter ants in your garden, cut up citrus peel into small pieces and soak in a dish of hot water overnight then just pour over where you have seen the ants running. The citrus peel then decomposes into the ground
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
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    - If you are peeling a potato, zucchini, carrot or other vegetabe, you might find it easier if you insert a wooden or metal skewer in the end to act as a handle.

    Wow - brilliant. I can't believe this has never occurred to me. I actually stopped peeling potatoes years ago, and simply eat them with the skin on, because I invariably slice my fingers with the potato peeler, being left-handed and very uncoordinated! It's good to know there is an alternative way of doing it that will keep my fingers intact! :-)
  • rachelnielson
    rachelnielson Posts: 9 Member
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    These are great! Thanks :smile:
  • Caggle123
    Caggle123 Posts: 14 Member
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    To stop beansprouts from going all soggy and slimy so you have chuck them away after just a couple of days, put them in a large dish and completely cover with cold water. Put them in the fridge and they keep for at least a week. (Refresh the water after a few days). :smile:
  • Troll
    Troll Posts: 922 Member
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    If you have a garden and get ants or other bugs, mix dawn dish detergent with water and spritz away! safe and wont damage your plants.
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
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    BUMP, to read all of them tonight

    To remove tomato stains from plastic, place it out in the sun for a few hours. The stains will disappear.
  • 2youngatheart
    2youngatheart Posts: 338 Member
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    Bump..will contribute later
  • Corjogo
    Corjogo Posts: 201 Member
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    Chopping onions without tears -- use the sharpest knife you have!

    Lemons/Limes: when is season, zest and juice then into the freezer in silicon ice cube trays (Miniature for zest covered with juice and regular [or choose a particular shape for each type of fruit] - measuring your cube will tell you exactly how many you need for any given recipe. Once frozen you can store in plastic bags to reuse trays.
  • PapaverSomniferum
    PapaverSomniferum Posts: 2,677 Member
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    Keep tomatoes, avocados, bananas, apples, citrus fruits, garlic, and squashes on the counter in plain sight. Use decorative baskets to create an aesthetic display. Here are some reasons:

    Many fruits/vegetables lose their flavor/color/texture when kept in the fridge.

    All fruits produce ethylene gas when ripening and decaying. Some fruits, like apples, produce more. If kept in an enclosed cabinet, your fridge, or a plastic bag, fruits will go bad faster because of the buildup of gas. (Alternately, if you buy green bananas or hard avocados, put them in a paper bag with an apple or two and they'll be perfectly ripe by tomorrow)

    Fruits and vegetables are pretty and liven up your living space.

    When kept at eye-level, rather than tucked away out of sight, your fruits and vegetables are more likely to be your first choice when snacking or cooking, helping you make better choices.
  • Cameo530
    Cameo530 Posts: 155 Member
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    I agree with keeping these out on the counters, but in my house it inevitably leads to the presence of fruit flies. To deal with the cursed fruit flies, pour a little apple cider vinegar in a low, flat dish and add a drop or two of dish detergent and set it out near the fruit. They will fly right in and drown themselves. Freshen it every day or two.
  • PapaverSomniferum
    PapaverSomniferum Posts: 2,677 Member
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    to deal with fruit flies, i keep two betta fish on my counter along with several candles. fruit flies occasionally try to move in but the fish eat them when they land on the water (which they're attracted to) and the candles drive away the rest
  • W0313
    W0313 Posts: 3 Member
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    bump
  • jaymartin1978
    jaymartin1978 Posts: 23 Member
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    When storing ground meat make sure to put in a freezer bag and make it as flat as possible. This does two things: save space in the freezer and when it is time to thaw out the new it thaws quickly.
  • asmallermeplz
    asmallermeplz Posts: 125 Member
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    To remove tomato stains from plastic, place it out in the sun for a few hours. The stains will disappear.
    [/quote]
    Thank you will try this soon!!!

    To keep from tearing up while cutting onions hold a spoon in your mouth. silly but works great :flowerforyou:
  • tripod271
    tripod271 Posts: 112 Member
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    bump for later - great tips
  • grdnr03
    grdnr03 Posts: 547 Member
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    I put unused tomatoe sauce in ice cube tray and freeze for later use, I remove frozen sauce cubes and keep in plastic baggie, cubes help with measuring out how much you will need for any given recipe. i don't waste any this way, i used to throw out alot of bad rotten sauce
  • Witchmoo
    Witchmoo Posts: 261 Member
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    If you have caked on grease/dirt on your oven or microwave......buy a new oven or microwave.....and never ever use it again!
  • aerochic42
    aerochic42 Posts: 821 Member
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    When cleaning the microwave, get a papertowel wet (add lemon juice if you want), fold it quarters, nuke it for a minute and then let it set for a few with teh micorwave closed. Then use the wet paper towel to wipe down the microwave. Be careful as it still might be warm at first.

    I use the grippy flat jar openers under my cutting board if it sliding around.

    When freezing berries and other small items that clump together, spread them out on a cookie sheet, place into the freezer and freeze until firm (doesn't have to be solid) than transfer to the bag or container of your choice. they will stay individual pieces instead of a giant lump.

    To measure out solid fats (lard, shortening, butter), fill a glass measuring cup with an equivalent amount of water (or more) as that which you are measuring, then scoop in your fat until the water level is that of your water plus your fat (1/2 cup of water + 1/2 cup of shortening = 1cup), pour out the water and dump the fat into your bowl, or scoop it out with slotted spoon.

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