When it comes to your daily meals, cooking is the cheaper, and healthier, option, but it’s not always the most convenient. For those who know this all too well, we’re publishing a 4-part Kitchen Hacks series to make you a better, faster cook. Part I is all about getting as much use out of your ingredients as possible.
Shuck corn in seconds with one chop.
First, cook your corn on the cob, with the husk, using your method of choice (mine is microwaving; 3-4 minutes per cob). Once it’s cooked, grab the cob by the tapered end with gloves or oven mitts (it’s going to be HOT!). Then, cut off the shank, and a bit of the actual cob, with a sharp knife. To remove the husk, continue holding by the uncut end, then squeeze and shake the corn out of its husk.
Revive wilted herbs with a quick shock in ice water.
Before the bath, take your herbs and start by cutting off the stems. Then, remove and discard any bruised or damaged leaves. Now comes the ice bath. Submerge your herbs in the ice water, and soak. The cold water will shock the herbs back to life. The amount of soaking time will vary, but you can tell they’re ready when the herbs start to float to the top and look bright green and refreshed!
To store, place the herbs in an air-tight container or sandwich bag lined with a paper towel on the top and bottom to absorb any extra moisture. Use within a couple of days.
Keep brown sugar fresh and clump free with a slice of bread.
To keep brown sugar from turning into rock-hard clumps, put a slice of bread, apple or even a damp paper towel in with the brown sugar to keep it soft. And, what is quite amazing is that neither the apple nor the bread gets moldy or rancid. They dry up and become inedible, but they do keep the brown sugar soft.
Peel a potato in one step.
Don’t waste time peeling potatoes before cooking. After boiling them, place them in a bowl of ice water for a few seconds. Then, just grab it with both hands, twist, and pull apart. The skin should slide right off.
Test if your eggs are still fresh by placing them in a bowl of water.
To find out if your eggs are still good without breaking the shell, just fill a bowl with cold water (and add ice for more accuracy). Then, place your egg in the water and if it sinks like a rock, you’re good to go. If it floats, toss it!
Give pomegranates a whack with a wooden spoon to easily remove the seeds.
All you need to do is cut it in half as normal, push out the center a bit, then just start whacking the back of it with a wooden spoon. If done correctly, all the seeds should fall right out into the bowl in just a few seconds!
Want more Kitchen Hacks? Click here.