In our fifth installment of Who Knew? Helpful Kitchen Tips, here are ten simple fixes for common kitchen dilemmas. I’ve also included a few fabulous tips that readers shared on my last Who Knew? post. Do you have a useful kitchen tip? Please share in the comments below!
1. Are your fingertips stained from peeling roasted beets or handling berries? Rub a slice of raw potato on your hands to rinse color away.
2. There’s a reason why cake, bread and pie recipes call for eggs, butter and other dairy at room temperature. At room temperature, these items form an air-trapping emulsion needed to create light and fluffy treats. Cold ingredients do not incorporate smoothly or evenly, which can lead to dense and dry baked goods.
3. When grilling meat, always use tongs for turning to avoid piercing the meat and losing some of the flavorful juices. Also, wait until your food is nearly finished cooking before brushing on sweet sauces (like honey-based sauces), which may burn before the inside is thoroughly cooked.
4. Does your pasta tend to turn out sticky and overcooked? Try using a larger pot. Small pots of water cool down quickly when pasta is added, which means it takes more time to bring the water back to a boil. This can result in clumps at the bottom of the pan, which can create sticky or mushy pasta.
5. The next time you need fresh ginger, try peeling it with a spoon. It’s much easier. Just pull the edge of the spoon across the skin. This method is also better for maneuvering around the nooks and crannies than a traditional peeler.
6. Only use nonstick pans, which transfer heat more slowly, for cooking delicate items like eggs, breaded foods or fish. Otherwise, stick with stainless steel or cast iron, which are better for browning meats and hardier foods.
7. Lightly spray your cheese grater with cooking spray to keep cheese from sticking to the blades.
8. Store dairy items, like cottage cheese and sour cream, upside down in the refrigerator. This will slow down oxidation and decrease the chance of bacterial growth. It will also help to keep them from turning watery.
9. Not sure if your avocado is overly ripe? Remove the stem and look at the skin beneath. If it’s dark brown, the avocado is past its prime. If it’s light yellow, it should be just right.
10. Need to separate some eggs? Make sure they’re well chilled. Cold eggs are much easier to separate.
Reader Tips
Here are a few of my favorite tips that were shared by readers on the last installment of Who Knew!
Aluminum foil or plastic wrap tightly wrapped around the stem bunch on bananas adds 2-3 days to them before they over ripen. ~ Doug R.
or…
Break all the bananas apart from the main stem before they are ripe! Not leaving the bunch of bananas together prevents them from ripening too quickly, and you don’t have to deal with broken open bananas when you try to break one off to eat and they all collapse. ~ Victoria P.
(I have tried both of these tips since reading them and they work great! We go through a lot of bananas here at home.)
If you store your Shabbat candles in the freezer they don´t drip when you light them. Freezer to table no mess! ~ Tamara H.
When serving cream for coffee, schmear a bit of butter on the underside of the spout to prevent drips. ~ Karen S.
Keep your nuts in the refrigerator or freezer to keep them fresher longer. ~ Nancy H.
Do you have a favorite kitchen tip to share? Leave it in the comments below. Your tip might be featured in my next installment of Who Knew!
James Allen says
Huh, good tip! I usually just wait for them to go in a day or two. Interesting, I´ll give it a try!
Hadassa Artsy-Darcy Rabinovich says
to remove onion or garlic smells from ur hands after chopping them, simply rub the back of a stainless steel spoon (or the knife blade u used for chopping!) across the affected area under cold running water. some chemical reaction between steel/cold water/skin takes the smell away completely!
Judy Solomon says
they are great roasted, very sweet
Cécile Byers says
I remember bringing these to my History teacher in high school when I was his TA…he loved them. #Memories
Deanah Messenger says
I like those stains.
Diane Davies Rivera says
Burn a candle while chopping onions….the candle flame ´absorbs´ the fumes from the onions that cause you to ´cry´. I put a candle next to the cutting board.
Marlajan Katz says
I love the beet greens in salad. both clean. Leaves stems and peeled beets. In boiling water. Cook till soft. Drain add. Viniagrette. Home made or bottle. And eat. Delicious
Jeff Freedman says
And dill pickle smell with vanilla!
Anne says
To give your dough elasticity, put 1/4 tsp. vodka in and mix.
Peretz B Olkin says
You can also wear latex-free gloves
Patti Shannon says
When peeling beets, rub some oil on your hands first to keep them from staining.
Suzanne Schott McElhaney says
When pickling beets, use the (strained) water that you used to boil the beets and nix the added sugar. That beet water is plenty sweet on its own!
Bonnie Emm says
Hint: if you go out to dinner every night, you´ll never cry chopping onions! You´re welcome… ~;)
Ginna Germain Basile says
Thank you!! never knew that!!
Kimberley Barca says
I roast my beets and use plastic gloves to remove skins
Kimberley Barca says
Thanks Shiksa your hints really helpful!
Michael Ellis says
Beets will bleed to death if simmered in a pot of soup! (the color leeches out of the root leaving it an off-white)
TC Ilke Erdogan McAliley says
How about beets and white tshirt? :))
Mandy Louise Clayton says
You can clean red wine out of white carpet by pouring baking soda on it, wait until it turns blue and vacuum up every trace.
Shawn Cady says
What???? Shut up!!´ All these years I´ve had red fingers ad all I needed was a potato?? Lol. Brilliant. Thanks for the tip. I have beets in my fridge as we speak. 🙂