One thing I've been trying to be better about doing lately as an adult™ is cooking. Although it's super tempting to just order takeout or microwave a frozen burrito after work, I know there's nothing quite as satisfying as enjoying a delicious home-cooked meal that I made myself.
However, I also know that I've definitely still got a lot to learn when it comes to cooking. So, when Reddit user u/Krizpirit recently asked, "What is a kitchen/cooking hack you’ve learned or seen online that you use almost daily?" I was immediately like:
The thread was really informative and had a lot of innovative ideas that I can't wait to try! Here are some of the best hacks that people shared:
1."If you’re boiling milk, swirl water in the pan and pour it out before you add the milk to prevent it from sticking to the pan." —u/DangerousThanks
2."Utilize a garbage bowl during prep. Onion skins, vegetable peels, shrimp shells, whatever, all go in the garbage bowl so they are out of your way and can be disposed of all at once." —u/Runzas_In_Wonderland
3."Freeze your ginger. Whatever you don't use stays fresh, and it is really easy to grate with a microplane zester when it's frozen. You don't even have to thaw it." —u/mom_with_an_attitude
4."Use a vegetable peeler on carrots. Like peel it, then keep peeling to get long thin strips. [They] cook quickly in a stir fry or look great on a salad." —u/TurkTurkle
5."Sprinkle sea salt on top of cookies, brownies, and many other desserts right before or right after making/baking them. The extra salt really brings out the taste and balances out the sweetness. [It] prevents them from being cloyingly sweet, which is a frequent problem I have with many desserts." —u/Darwin343
6."If I'm using a can of something in a recipe, I use the empty can to hold the spoon for stirring so I don't have to clean something extra, like a spoon rest. I use my (clean) cupped palm of my hand to measure salt, sugar, etc., so I don't have to get out the measuring spoons. I can just eyeball it by now." —u/fairystepgodbrother
7."It's not a 'hack,' but finding out that you can make vegetable stock by just saving your vegetable scraps was a game-changer for me." —u/AnythingforChaos
8."If you want your ground beef to break into finer/smaller pieces (for picadillo, ragù, etc.), add 1/4 cup of water per pound when you are about a third of the way done cooking. You will have to keep stirring it, but it should break up much [more] easily now as it cooks." —u/MidiReader
9."Season your meats in order from coarsest to finest seasonings. I noticed a few years back that when I'd cut up roasted meat (from chicken thighs to pork ribs to Cornish game hen), half the seasonings would fall off onto the plate. Seasoning from coarse to fine allows things like rosemary or thyme a chance to adhere to the meat, while garlic powder gets in between the flakes."
10."Rinse your rice. I had no idea, and [it was] a complete game-changer." —u/BigSquibowski
11."You can use basically any good quality jam or preserves you may have in your fridge to make a savory-sweet sauce for meat dishes. Caramelize aromatics of choice (onion, shallot, garlic) in butter, salt, pepper, add stock of choice, add jam of choice, add herbs or other seasonings [if] desired, [then] stir and simmer until [it's] thickened into a glaze-like sauce. If you want to add some tanginess, add vinegar — balsamic, apple cider, rice wine, Chinese black vinegar...depends on the flavor. If you want a richer finish, add another pat of butter at the end. If you have leftover wine, try adding some."
12."I leave the light on on my hood fan until all burners are off, food is cooled, and leftovers are in the fridge for the night. I don't turn it off until all that is done as a rule so I won't forget." —u/cronin98
13."Press garlic cloves with the side of a knife to loosen the peel right off." —u/The_H_is_Missing
14."For cleaning a microwave 'murder scene,' soak a towel and nuke it for a minute or two. The steam loosens all the gross [stuff], and it’s way easier to wipe out." —u/WulfenGeist
15."I have a funny hack. I splurged on a $20 set of pumpkin carving tools for a Halloween event. Turns out, these are great for things like carving the eyes out of potatoes, digging the seeds out of a cantaloupe, or [making] dough cutouts. [They're] not meant to last forever, but surprisingly strong, sharp, and useful!" —u/movetoseattle
16."Freezing cheese (especially a block of creamier or softer cheese) for an hour before grating it makes it easier and less messy." —u/nefariousPost
17."If you have a garbage disposal, throw lemon peels in there with some ice cubes and salt. Give it a whirl, run the water, and you've got a clean garbage disposal." —u/Hey_Laaady
19.And finally: "To cut a bell pepper without getting any seeds in, you just have to cut the stem, turn it over, [and] cut each 'bulb' following the shape of the pepper. You get most of your pepper, while all the seeds stay attached at the center. If you need a video, I learned it from Gordon Ramsay on TV." —u/punkieMunchkin
