The 15 Best Kitchen Hacks You Should Know!

It doesn’t matter whether you are an expert cook or just finding your way around the kitchen. A few shortcuts and hacks will help you accomplish more in less time. So, let’s get creative and make cooking fun!

When you need just a few drops of citrus juice

Don’t cut up a whole lemon when all you need are a few drops of citrus juice. This hack will help you take the juice you want and save the rest.

Start by rolling the fruit on a hard surface, like a cutting board. This will soften the insides. Next, pass a skewer through the skin to puncture it. Gently squeeze out just the quantity you need through the hole you just made. The remaining lemon stays intact and can be saved for later use.

Tip to rescue leftover lettuce

How often have you thrown out leftover lettuce because it had turned brown?

Lettuce that is just turning brown isn’t great in salads. However, you can still rescue these precious greens after brown spots have already appeared. Just cook them like you would cook spinach. Sauté lettuce with olive oil, minced garlic, and salt to make a quick and great-tasting side dish for rice or pasta. You can do the same with leftover radicchio, endive, and other salad greens.

The simple solution to cut up squash

Although squash is a healthy and delicious fall vegetable, it is difficult to cut and chop. So, here’s a practical way to cut up squash without hurting yourself.

After washing your squash:

1. Make 1-inch cuts all over the surface with a sharp knife.
2. Microwave it on high for exactly three minutes.
3. Stick to the time limit to prevent the squash from cooking.
4. Once the time is up, use a towel and take it out carefully.
5. The squash is now just soft enough to be cut. So, go ahead and chop it up. 

Revival tip for wilted basil

Basil is an herb that wilts very quickly. Fortunately, there is a way to restore it just as quickly.

Place wilted basil in cool water for half an hour, and the leaves will rehydrate. Quickly blot the excess water from the surface of the leaves with a paper towel. Then, place it in a Ziploc bag and seal it. Don’t refrigerate it, as the leaves can turn black. Store it at room temperature itself.

A zero-waste trick to efficiently measure dry ingredients

Do you always end up with a mess when measuring dry ingredients? Then, this hack is for you.

Place your measuring cup inside a plate or container. Then add dry ingredients like flour, sugar, or cocoa powder into the measuring cup. Spills will be caught in the plate or container. Not only does this make cleaning up a breeze, but it also prevents wastage as you can return the excess into the bag.

Tip for cleaner chopped nuts for recipes

Ever noticed how the powdery residue in chopped nuts ruins the appearance of a cake or dessert? You can get rid of this problem with a simple extra step when toasting and chopping up nuts to garnish a cake or dessert. Just put the chopped nuts in a sieve to separate the powdery residue. The nuts will look cleaner and give your cake a neat finish. You can add the sifted powder to cake flour or pancake batter for a nutty flavor.  However, avoid this for skin-on nuts as their powder can be bitter.

Helpful hack to keep salad greens fresh and crisp

Soggy salad greens that were stored in a refrigerator can ruin salads. However, this trick will help you keep the greens fresh and crisp for up to a week. Wash the leaves as usual and separate them. Then, lay them out on a large kitchen towel and roll it up from one end to the other. Place it as such in your refrigerator. The moist towel will keep the greens fresh and crisp for days. So, no more wilted or wet greens for you! You can also use paper towels to keep lettuce and other leafy vegetables fresh and crisp. You’re your storage container with a layer of paper towels. Add the cleaned lettuce leaves and cover it up with another layer of paper towels.

The easiest method to prep mushrooms for stuffing

Since mushrooms are delicate, they break easily when you hollow them out for stuffing. However, you can safely hollow mushrooms with a melon baller and create the right amount of space for filling.

After removing the stem and scraping out the gills, use a melon baller to gently hollow out the cap. Save the meaty content to add to the stuffing. This will enhance its flavor. Once your stuffing is ready, tuck it into the hollow space.

Quick and easy pan-roasted garlic preparation

Pan-roasted garlic is deliciously sweet with a mild taste that enhances the flavor of any recipe. However, making pan-roasted garlic is tedious as it takes almost an hour to prepare a whole head of garlic. But here is a quick alternative to try. Add a few cloves of unpeeled garlic into a heavy-based pan. Cover and cook on medium heat for five minutes and flip it in between. Then, uncover the pan and cook it for five more minutes until the skin is charred. The cloves will have softened by now. Cool it completely. Now, remove the skin and mash it up. Tasty pan-roasted garlic is ready for use.

Tip to distribute berries in muffins evenly

When you add blueberries to muffin batters, the berries usually end up at the bottom. This makes the muffins soggy and heavy-bottomed, and it has an unappealing greenish tint. The good news is that you can eliminate this process by slightly modifying the process.

First, add a little batter to the muffin mold. Then, add a few berries and top it up with batter. Then, continue layering it in the same way. Then, at the very top, poke the blueberries gently into the batter. This will ensure that the berries stay in place and won’t break.

Ripeness test for avocados

Avocados are tricky fruits. They may appear ripe to the touch, even when raw inside. So, you cannot rely on the touch test alone. Here’s a way to identify if an avocado is ripe without cutting it up first. Gently remove the stem and insert a toothpick into the skin. If the toothpick enters and comes out clean, the avocado is ripe and ready for use. So go ahead and chop it!

The expert way to rehydrate dry mushrooms for better flavor and texture

Do you soak dried mushrooms in hot water to rehydrate them? Well, this isn’t the most effective technique. To restore the original flavors and enjoy a better texture, use ice-cold water instead of hot or warm water. Refrigerate in a covered container for 10-12 hours. Yes, it will take longer for the mushrooms to completely rehydrate. However, the result is worth the wait. They become intensely flavored, velvety, and firm to the taste!

Storage tip for excess tomato paste

When a recipe calls for a small quantity of tomato paste or chipotles in adobo, do you usually end up throwing away the excess quantity? Avoid wasting leftover tomato paste and chipotles in adobo by freezing the excess. Transfer the unused quantity into a reusable freezer bag and flatten it out. Then seal the bag and freeze it. The next time you need it in a recipe, just break off the required quantity from the frozen block. Return the rest to the freezer.

Easy coconut toasting hack

Toasted coconut adds a nutty, earthy flavor to any dish and is a delicious ingredient in savory and sweet recipes. Although you can toast small quantities of shredded coconut in a skillet over a stovetop, here is an easy way to try.

Spread shredded coconut on a flat microwavable plate and microwave it on high power for two minutes. Stop and stir every 30 seconds to ensure that it browns evenly. Then take it out and leave it too cool. It will crisp up nicely.  

For large quantities, toast coconut in the oven. Spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast it for 8 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Coconut can burn easily due to its high oil content. So, gently stir it every few minutes for even cooking.

Potato prep hack for better potato salads

Have you noticed how potato salads made with boiled potatoes look soggy? When you boil potatoes, they retain water. Excess water dilutes their flavors and damages the texture. The better option is to steam potatoes. Pour enough water into the pan to prevent burning. Once the potatoes cook thoroughly, remove them and chop them up. Drizzle vinegar and oil before the vegetables cool down, as warm vegetables retain more flavor.

These new tips will make your culinary adventures more exciting and hassle-free. Use our ideas to make your cooking a lot better and your life a lot easier. And do let us know which of these you liked the most.