5 Simple Cooking Hacks to Make You A Whiz in the Kitchen
by Tiffany Walking Eagle | 2-minute read
1. Make Easy-Peel Eggs With Vinegar.
Boiled eggs are a super easy snack or breakfast (I personally love soft-boiled best!) but peeling them by hand is just plain annoying. The shell comes off in teeny chunks or pieces of egg white get torn away, and it's just way more labor intensive than it needs to be. Try adding a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar and a pinch of salt to the water. And don't worry, the vinegar won't add any flavor to the eggs, but it will make peeling them a cinch! (Or, to not have to peel your eggs at all, try this weird little gadget.)
2. Coat Measuring Utensils with Cooking Spray.
Coat your measuring cups and spoons with cooking spray to keep each ingredient from sticking. Whether you're adding honey to your tea or a cup of sugar to your brownies, this will save water and excessive dishwashing!
Related post: 9 Ways to Simplify Meal Prep So You'll Actually Do It
3. Are These Old Eggs Still Edible? Test 'Em.
I love this hack because I tend to go through phases of eating eggs. For a month I'll be cooking them nearly daily, then other times they'll sit in my fridge for weeks on end. No worries if you're like me though, since this simple water test will let you know if they're still edible. Fill a glass with water and plop the egg in. If it floats, toss it. If it sinks down but stands vertically at the bottom of the glass, you can still eat it, but cook it ASAP because it won't be good much longer. If it sinks, you're solid!
4. Place a Wooden Spoon Over the Pan When Cooking Pasta.
The spoon keeps the water from boiling over and leaving a nasty mess on your stovetop. To be honest, I'm not sure why this works, but it does!
5. Make Perfect Sunny Side Up Eggs.
If you're a klutz like me or you just suck at making over easy eggs for some reason (ahem, also me) you know the struggle of trying to flip a fried egg without bursting the yolk and ruining everything. To make things easier, try putting a lid on your egg pan so the steam will cook the top of the egg and you won't have to flip it. The trick is to cook them at medium heat so the bottom of the egg doesn't burn or get that gross brown film on it, and be sure your pan is well oiled.
Did you notice that three of these hacks were about eggs? Ha. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this post and that it helped you, and I'll be posting more cooking, baking, food, and general kitchen hacks soon! Any cool ones you'd like to share? Leave me a comment below. :)