40 Genius Food Prep Hacks You Probably Never Heard Of Yet
If you love spending time in the kitchen, whether cooking or eating, chances are you’ve already mastered a lot of genius food prep hacks. Good to know that! Knowing your way in and out of the kitchen and mastering your kitchen tools will definitely save you more time and effort.
If you’re a busy homemaker who’s juggling your job, parenthood, and other responsibilities, you will be delighted to find out that there are quick and easy tricks in the kitchen you need to know to make your life even a little easier. Or fun!
For you, we outlined 40 of the best kitchen hacks when preparing food and other ingredients. Enjoy!
1. After cutting an onion, spread butter on the cut side to keep it fresh in the fridge for a couple of days.
2. For an improvised mixer lid, make two holes on a disposable plate and you’ll never have to worry about too much mess when baking.
3. To keep spinach and other leafy greens from getting slimy, place them in a container then add paper towels. This will absorb the moisture and will make the leaves last a little longer than usual.
4. To make cereals crisp again, spread them out in a pan and put in the oven for about 5-10 minutes at 375 degrees.
5. To retain the flavors of mushrooms, clean them with a moist paper towel or a soft brush. This would also depend on the variety and how dirty the mushrooms are. Some people actually tested washing them quickly under running water and they seem to be fine that way too.
6. To stop you from tearing up while cutting onions, try spraying your chopping board or knife with a little lime juice before chopping the onions.
7. To keep cookies soft and fresh for a longer time, store them in a container with an apple wedge.
8. Use Jell-O to color frosting if you don’t have any food coloring.
9. Put a large marshmallow on your cupcakes for the last five minutes of baking. It will make a great frosting.
10. No stand mixer? Make a whipped cream by shaking it in a mason jar or in a plastic water bottle.
11. Lightly mist your ice cream scoop with a non-stick spray then use it to evenly scoop your batter when making cupcakes or cookies.
12. Boil eggs in the oven instead of a pot. To have more hard-boiled eggs in one go, bake eggs in muffin tins for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
13. Make ready-to-blend smoothie packs. Assemble and freeze the ingredients ahead of time. Measure them early on so that you’ll have perfect portions every time.
14. Pre-assemble salads in a mason jar to keep your veggies from getting soggy. Put the dressing at the bottom, followed by sturdier veggies, then the leafy greens on top. Place a paper towel on top of them all to absorb moisture.
15. Chop raw vegetables in bulk ahead of time and seal them properly in containers to be kept in your fridge.
16. To keep brown sugar soft, try putting a piece of bread into the container. You can also use an orange peel or a slice of apple to keep sugar lumps from forming.
17. Still have leftover wine from your last party? Place that liquid in Ziploc bags and freeze. Next time you need wine for a recipe, you can easily grab one.
18. When in a small gathering – instead of scooping the ice cream, use a hot knife to slice it. You’ll more even portions to serve. Dip the close ice cream container into a large bowl of hot water, remove the lid, and then invert it to a large plate or cutting board.
19. To slice cake without a mess, use a hot knife. Re-heat it as needed to make sure you get perfect cake slices each time.
20. Keep peeled potatoes from turning brown by putting them in a bowl of cold water until they’re ready to be cooked.
21. To come up with crispy bacon, bake it in an oven. Pre-heat to 400 degrees then spread the bacon on a tin foil covered tray for 12 minutes. The evenly distributed heat will help cook the bacon properly.
22. To remove the stem from strawberries, insert a straw in the middle of the fruit until the core is removed.
23. Serve condiments quickly using a muffin tin. This is best for barbecue parties or any outdoor gatherings and events.
24. Use an empty ketchup bottle for your pancake mix and enjoy a no-mess cooking experience.
25. To measure sticky ingredients like honey, spray a little cooking oil onto the cup before measuring.
26. Blend leftover vegetables and fruits then pour the contents into ice cube molds. These smoothie ice cubes can be used at a later time instead of using ice.
27. To keep ice cream soft, place the gallon of ice cream in a Ziploc bag. Now, you don’t have to worry about breaking your spoon or eating just a small portion.
28. To easily mince garlic without mess, lightly coat your hands in olive oil before mincing.
29. To peel individual garlic clove, lay it on the cutting board and place the flat side of the knife on top of it, with the garlic being closer to the knife handle than the center of the blade. Then slap the heel of your hand down and smash the side of the blade against the clove.
30. To neatly drain spinach, poke holes in the bottom of the spinach bag then place it in a bowl to defrost. Next, squeeze it when it’s thawed. The water will just drain to the holes and into the bowl without sticking to your hands and your sink.
31. Always have pre-measured butter on hand by cutting tablespoon-size pieces ahead of time. This way, you can easily just get a piece from the fridge when you need one for a recipe.
32. To easily peel potatoes without using a peeler, boil the potatoes then place them in a bowl of cold water. The skin will just soften and separate from the potato so that it slides right off.
33. Try wrapping celery in tin foil before storing it in a refrigerator so that it won’t get floppy.
34. When poaching an egg, add a teaspoon of white vinegar to simmering water to help keep the yolk from breaking.
35. Pre-soak pasta for about a couple of hours or overnight. It will cook in about 1 minute.
36. Remove tough stems on leafy greens by pinching the stem and gently pulling off the leaves with your other hand.
37. Gently press and roll citrus fruits on the table first to peel them easily and to avoid mess. This quick trick loosens the skin fibers. Make sure to not pound, squeeze, or squash.
38. Batch-roast your vegetables at the beginning of the week to keep a health batch of food. Roast off your usual veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, kale, or sweet potatoes.
39. Wrap your taco with lettuce to keep it from falling apart.
40. For a quick and easy snack, use pre-packaged pastry dough and fill it with Nutella, and then bake.
Go ahead and try everything when you can. Although there’s a possibility that not everything will work for you, there’s also a high chance that you will discover another incredible hack that will work for you!
Enjoy cooking!
