15 Kitchen Tips and Tricks

My previous posts sharing my favorite Household Tips and Tricks found on the internet have gotten a great response and prompted some great discussion on Twitter.  Here’s a more focused look at some great ideas for Kitchen Tips and Tricks!

Gravies & Sauces

Don’t throw out all that leftover wine … freeze it into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. Wait, what’s leftover wine??

Brown gravy in a hurry with a bit of instant coffee straight from the jar … no bitter taste, either.

Fruits & Veggies

A dampened paper towel or terry cloth brushed downward on a cob of corn will remove every strand of corn silk.

Keep iceberg lettuce fresh in the fridge by wrapping it in a clean, dry paper towel and storing lettuce and paper towel in a sealed baggie in the fridge.

Separate your bananas from the bunch when you bring them home from the store. They will stay fresh longer.

Never put citrus fruits or tomatoes in the fridge. The low temperatures degrade the aroma and flavor of these persnickety fruits. (I’m bad for this, I like cold oranges!)

Before you chop chili peppers, rub a little vegetable oil into your hands and your skin won’t absorb the spicy chili oil.

Pasta

A few drops of lemon juice added to simmering rice will keep the grains separate.

A lump of butter or a few teaspoons of cooking oil added to water when boiling rice, noodles, macaroni, or spaghetti will prevent boiling over.

After boiling pasta or potatoes, cool the water and use it to water your house plants. The water contains nutrients that your plants will love.

Meats

Poke a hole in the middle of the hamburger patties while shaping them. The burgers will cook faster and the holes will disappear when done.

Try hot tea instead of water when cooking roasts or stewing meat.  It’s a good way to add flavor and tenderize the meats.

Breads & Pastries

Use a meat baster to squeeze your batter onto a hot griddle for perfectly shaped pancakes every time.

Cookies will spread if your dough is too pliable by allowing butter to get too soft. If your cookies are spreading too much, try refrigerating the dough for a couple of hours before baking.

When cooking any kind of strawberry dessert, add a splash of aged Balsamic vinegar to the recipe to enhance the flavor of the strawberries.