This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Knowledge is power is a wise saying accredited to Sir Francis Bacon (LOL!). Of course it’s true. So here are a few domestic food hacks that, once you know them, will definitely make your life easier in the kitchen.
Opening jars
Carefully push the point of a knife under the rim of the lid and twist until you hear a pop. The lid will now twist off easily. Alternatively wrap an elastic band around the lid to give you a better grip.
Ripening avocados
If you place avocados on a newspaper or in a brown paper bag with a banana, they will ripen more quickly. I also find that, once ripened, avocados keep really well in the salad drawer of your fridge.
Smelly fingers?
Smoked salmon and raw garlic odours can linger on your hands. To get rid of the smell, wet your hands with cold water and rub over a stainless steel tap for 30 seconds before washing your hands with soap.
Make your bananas last longer
Store your bananas separately, not in a bunch, and they will last up to one week longer.
Superfast banana ice cream. This is a great way to use up bananas nearing their ‘best before date’. Just peel, chop into chunks, freeze and then whizz in a blender or food processor. You will have natural, creamy ice cream with no artificial ingredients.
Casserole a bit oily?
Drop in a couple of ice cubes and the fat will solidify into lumps which you can then scoop up and discard.
Floppy celery?
Cut off the base of your bunch of celery and pop into a jar of cold water – should perk up in about 15 minutes. If you keep your celery wrapped in foil in the fridge it will last for up to a month.
Runny honey set solid?
Remove the lid and microwave the jar for 10 second bursts until liquefied.
Get more juice out of your lemon
Zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds and you’ll get lots more juice out than if you simply squeezed it when it was cold.
Eggshell fallen in your mixing bowl?
Just wet your finger and the broken shell will naturally gravitate towards it.
Is your egg edible?
A very fresh egg will sink straight to the bottom of a bowl of water and lie on its side. A slightly older egg will still sink to the bottom, but lie at an angle. If an egg floats to the top of the water, there is too much air inside the shell and it should be discarded.
Clever way to peel an egg: Watch here
Preserving fresh herbs
Preserve herbs by finely snipping the leaves and packing into an empty ice-cube tray, fill about ¾ full with water and freeze. The next day, top off with water and freeze again (this covers the floating bits with ice to prevent freezer burn). Pop the finished cubes into a sealed container in the freezer. Drop frozen cubes into soups and stews for a fresh herb flavour.
Passive peeling
Parboil potatoes in their skin, drain off the hot water and run them under a cold tap. The skins will just slip right off.
Pot boiling over?
Balance a wooden spoon across the top and it will not.
Annabel has a few good kitchen hacks too – click here to read them