Kitchen Hints and Tips - Let's list them!

bump. These are great ideas!

Wow I never thought of the wooden skewers for peeling! I always end up accidentally dropping them in the trash -.- I'm not much of a cook but here is a tip, if you have stains on your cutting boards, just put baking soda on it for a few hours and when you wash it off it will be gone! I never heard of putting oil in the water for pasta before. If you get more than 1 load of bread or bagels than its good to put 1 in the freezer so it doesnt get moldy and then take it out when you finish the 1st loaf.

Peeling hardboiled eggs! This is awesome for large quantities, I do about a dozen eggs a week and went from cursing just about every single egg to being giddy at how easy this was.

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/01/worlds-easiest-boiled-eggs-unless-youre.html

Bump!

When you buy fresh produce, to keep it from going bad so fast, soak them in a sinkful of water with a 1/2 cup of vinegar to clean them. It pulls off all the waxes that the stores use to make them look more appealing.. It also kills bacteria/sanitizes them I do this for all my produce and it gives me at least an extra week in the fridge. Especially grapes or berries! They last much longer!

I read these quickly, so if I repeat anything I'm sorry.

If your eggs are older, esp if you get them farm fresh, and you are worried they may be bad put them in a glass of water. Rotten ones will float.

Also, I use the oil in things I am boiling in water b/c it keeps them from boiling over-not b/c of sticking

if it hasent allready been mentioned - lemon juice mixed with white vingar can clean anything(allmost)

also drier sheets in linen drawers to keep them smelling fresh

bump - love this one!

Bump

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This one may sound very odd but it works!

If you touch fish, either to cook or eat, and you are left with a fishy smell on your hands:

Wash your hands with soap, and then rub your hands on something made of stainless steel (like a sink, or a stainless steel pan). And voila, the fishy smell is gone
Don't believe it? well try it!

This works for onion and garlic smells as well.

Here is one for the girls (non-kitchen related):

Oily complexion? every foundation you use looks greasy and shiny after a few hours of wear?

Apply a thin layer of old fashioned Milk Of Magnesia all over the face, making sure it is well blended before applying your foundation. It works like a charm!

Dry, chapped hands and cuticles?

Apply a thick layer of vaseline or Mango Mend (found at Sally's) to the hands, wear a disposable glove, and wash dishes with warm water. The warm water helps the vaseline product sink into the skin leaving your hands nice and hydrated


Feel like your feet sweat and smell after a workout in tennis shoes?

Apply deodorant to your feet before putting socks on the stick kind is even better No more stinky feet!

Save chicken & steak bones, vegetable ends, onion & garlic papers, herb stems, ect in a freezer bag; when full, boil in your largest stock pot for several hours, letting it reduce to concentrate flavors, then strain through cheesecloth. Free stock that tastes awesome. Freeze in 4 cup and 1 cup portions for adding to soups and sauces.

Instead of mincing garlic and ginger, I run them over a microplaner.

Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain pasta a minute or two before it's done, and let it finish cooking in the sauce. Add the reserved pasta water a 1/4 cup at a time (add only what's necessary) so the starch in it will give sauce the perfect consistency.

Burnt food in the bottom of your favorite skillet? Use regular table salt and half a lemon to scrub it out.

Apple cider vinegar makes for a great hair treatment. Mix in equal parts with hot water. Wet hair with water, carefully pour mixture over wet hair, sit 5 minutes, wash with shampoo twice. Removes all buildup without stripping natural oils. Don't get it in your eyes. This is especially good to perk up drooping wavy/curly hair.

Bar Keeper's Friend is awesome for keeping stainless steel sinks and cookware clean. Removes the worst burnt on mess easily.

2 week old eggs are best for boiled eggs - they'll peel easier; fresh eggs are best for baked goods.

Bump.

These are awesome!!!

Some more tips:

Only need 1/4 or 1/2 an onion, bell pepper, part of a bag of carrots, bunch of celery, pkg of fresh mushrooms, etc for a recipe? Finish chopping the rest, and toss into a freezer ziplock, flatten, squeeze the air out, and freeze - when you're making omelettes, soup, etc you can just whack the baggie on the counter to separate the pieces and use what you need.

Make a lot of cakes? Save your frosting containers/lids. They hold two cups, and work PERFECTLY for the freezer (they fit nicely in the door) to store chili, spaghetti sauce, soups, cooked beans, cooked rice, etc, you name it... Use a piece of masking tape to label/date the ingredients.

Saw a couple people mention freezing lemon/orange juice in ice cube trays.... I freeze it flat in ziplock bags, and break off a chunk as needed (only fill it so that when it's laying on the counter, it's 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick so it's easy to break off when frozen)

Making a boxed lemon cake but really like the lemony flavor? Substitue 1/2 of the water with lemon or orange juice - YUM.

Making garlic mashed potatoes? Toss one or two peeled cloves in with the raw potatoes when cooking.... mash them in when you drain the potatoes, they add great flavor without being overpowering.

Trying to wean your kids off sugary cereal, or make it a LITTLE healthier? Mix it with something healthy, store it in cereal bins - some combinations that work great are regular rice crispies with sweetened/chocolate/fruity pebbles ones, honey nut cheerios with original flavor, raisin bran or corn flakes with frosted flakes, add regular cheerios to stuff like lucky charms, and add granola to "boring" stuff like cornflakes and kix.

A 4x6 photo album works WONDERFULLY as a mini-cookbook. Buy 4x6 lined index cards (or print your recipes in that size on the computer), if you splash/spill they wipe right off. (Also, if you're a parent.... I have 4 sets of these going.... any time I cook something my kids love, I make a copy for each of their cookbooks or for the one who liked it, date it for memory's sake, and tuck it into their "cookbook" photo album. When they move into their own place, they'll have a good start on some recipes from home and/or know how to make some of their favorite things. Their grandmas have even contributed to the books if the kids have liked a recipe they made during a sleepover etc.)

Want savory scrambled eggs or omelettes? Add a tablespoon of condensed Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup for every 2 eggs, scramble together, and cook as usual for scrambled eggs. This has gotten me away from using gobs of cheese on my scrambled eggs....

Evaporated milk works GREAT as a substitute in recipes calling for heavy whipping cream (soups, mashed potatoes, desserts, "white chili", etc) and it's drastically lower in calories. Haven't tried it for something like Fettucine Alfredo yet, but that's my next experiment. Obviously this also would NOT work if you're supposed to WHIP the whipping cream

Sneak veggies into things in unusual places - I use my mini chopper and add things like finely chopped carrots, celery, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and squash to everything from meatloaf to chili and spaghetti sauce. Most folks never know it's in there, just comment on how moist and flavorful it is :drinker:

Substitute 1/2 the required flour with whole wheat flour in pancakes, breads, and dense cakes - makes it a little healthier and more filling.

Bananas getting too ripe for folks to eat? Peel and place them in ziplock bags, flatten, remove air, and freeze - can be used for everything from smoothies to pancakes, banana bread, cakes, etc.

Hmm, think that's all I can think of for the moment.... may come up with some more later! Thanks for the great ideas, all!! :happy: