Having some useful tricks upon your sleeve will always come in handy if you want to keep your kitchen immaculately clean. If you want to know how to prolong the shelf life of your produce, but also the easiest way to clean your pots and pans, you’re in the right place.
Read on and find out how you can make your kitchen time less of a bother.
1# Prevent the growth of bacteria in dairy products
You can use this trick for both cottage cheese and sour cream. The thing is neither of the two has a long shelf life, so this simple trick will help you extend their shelf life. What you do is place the cottage cheese or sour cream container in the fridge upside down. By doing so, you actually create a vacuum effect thus preventing the growth of bacteria that spoil the food.
2# Extend the shelf life of fresh vegetables
What you do here is quite simple – put some paper towels on the fridge shelf to soak up the excess moisture and thus slow down decay.
3# How to be sure that the eggs are fresh
If you aren’t really certain how fresh your eggs are, there’s a simple hack to help you check this. Just put them in a bowl filled with water. Fresh eggs will sink, while bad eggs will float.
4# How to keep your brown sugar from getting all hard and crumbly
The best way to keep your brown sugar is in the fridge as it doesn’t get hard in this way. However, then you can, if it’s already hardened, soften it by placing a sealed bag with a slice of fresh bread and an apple. You will be amazed by the results.
5# How to keep your salt from getting hard
Another simple, yet very effective trick –just put a few grains of rice in it. If you don’t know how this works, it’s because the rice absorbs the moisture thus preventing the salt from hardening.
6# How to prevent dry cheese
A simple trick can prevent your cheese from drying too rapidly and making large, deep cracks across the surface. Just rub the cheese over with oil or butter. If you’re using butter, press it deep into the cracks and rub it into the detached edges.
7# How to keep your butter fresh
If you find butter on sale, don’t worry that it may go bad if you buy a stack of it. Simply store it in the freezer because butter can sit there for more than 6 months. It’s important to use a zipper-bag, so as it doesn’t absorb other food odors.
8# How to revive flat champagne
It may sound unbelievable, but you can actually your champagne fizz. If your champagne is flat and it doesn’t have any bubbles, then just put 1-2 raisins in it, a few minutes before you use it. This trick works wonders!
9# How to convert the pudding into muss
It’s very simple. All you should do is use whipped cream instead of milk or water to make the pudding. Bon appetite!
10# How to reverse crystalized honey to its natural color
If your honey has crystalized just put the honey jar in warm water ad leave it until it becomes clear again.
11# How to save over salted soup
If you’ve accidentally put a bit too much salt in your soup, just add some raw potatoes or apples in it and boil for 10 minutes. Surprisingly, both apples and potatoes are extremely beneficial for absorbing the extra salt. After that, remove the potatoes or the apples from the soup. If, however, this doesn’t work, then you add some sugar or vinegar in it. Your last option is to use some water or unsalted soup in it.
12# How to save sinewy meat
Marinate the meat with the following ingredients: beer, vinegar or tomato juice, lemon, papaya or pineapple. These ingredients contain enzymes or acids which will help you save your sinewy meat. If this doesn’t thick fails, then gently cut the meat using a pizza knife.
13# Get rid of the excess fat in the soup
Don’t waste your soup if it has too much fat in it. Just put a bowl of soup in the fridge for half an hour, and then remove the layer of fat from the soup. If you are in a hurry simply add some ice cubes in the soup and remove them when they get coated with fat. Alternatively, put a piece of lettuce to absorb the excess fat. Remove it when it becomes soft.
14# How to improve the taste of burned milk
Just add a pinch of salt in burned milk to neutralize the bad smell.
15# How to make your fruit ripe
If you want to ripen your fruits overnight, simply put them in a paper bag. Include an apple in the bag as well. The apple emits ethylene gas which speeds up the ripening process.
16# How to save the burned sauce
If you have burned your sauce, just add 1 tsp. of peanut butter in each cup. It effectively removes the burned taste.
17# How to get rid of the unpleasant smell of plastic containers
Plastic is porous, which is why plastic containers usually absorb bad smell, even when they’re thoroughly washed. To get rid of the smell, fill them with a newspaper to soak up the bad odor. Don’t forget to wash them before use.
18# How to save a burned pan
The most effective way to clean a burned pan is to sprinkle it with some baking soda combined with 4-5 tsp. of salt. Cover the pan with water and leave it overnight. Wash the pan the next day.
19# The best way to clean stainless steel
Stainless steel is best cleaned with alcohol. Simply soak a piece of cloth in some alcohol and remove the stains.
20# How to polish copper
Copper kitchenware is best cleaned with ketchup. Simply sprinkle some ketchup on it and clean it with a piece of cloth. The results are amazing!
