I am a sucker for a good kitchen hack.
I love watching my friend’s faces as I throw out a tip that they’ve never heard of. Today I am going to let you in on 5 secret kitchen hacks that have changed my world!
I love to cook but I don’t always have the patience to prepare food that takes lot of time. There are some great kitchen tricks that save time and keep your food fresh for longer. I don’t like to waste food but I often find myself buying different types of greens and fruit that go bad before we can eat it all. This always frustrates me because it’s like I am throwing my hard earned money down the disposal. I decided that there had to be a better way and came across these hacks.
Whether you are just getting started on your cooking journey or are cooking for years these hacks are going to make your kitchen experience quicker and easier!
Hack #1: Shred Chicken in Seconds
I used to shred chicken with a fork which took forever! I dreaded making any recipe with shredded chicken. One time I was cooking for an event with 500 people and decided to brainstorm a faster way to shred chicken. I threw the cooked chicken breasts into my kitchen-aid mixer and the chicken shredded perfectly in less than 60 seconds. Using the kitchen-aid also serves for a much quicker clean up. Don’t have a kitchen-aid? A hand mixer works great too!
Hack #2: Keeping Watermelon Crisp
My favorite fruit is watermelon. To me, there is nothing more refreshing than a fresh crisp piece of watermelon. If you have ever tried to store watermelon, you’ve found that the juice from the melon makes it very soggy. When storing it, place a couple of dry paper towels in the bottom of the dish or Ziploc bag. This will absorb the extra moisture keeping our watermelon fresh and it will last twice as long this way. After a couple of days you may need to change out the wet paper towel for a dry one so it can keep absorbing the moisture. This is a game changer and you will never have to throw soggy watermelon away again.
Hack #3 Clean Cut Brownie
I have had guests over with the plan to serve a beautiful plate of fresh baked brownies. Upon plating them, I realized the edges are all crumbly and it looks like a 5 year old cut them… so much for any hope of a good presentation. My grandma recently taught me that If you use a plastic disposable knife you will get a clean perfect straight cut every time. It’s genius and it really works! Your brownies will be instagram ready!
Hack #4 Fresh Veggies
I despise having to throw veggies away that I paid for just because I didn’t use them fast enough. This happens especially with lettuce, leafy greens and softer veggies. If you place a dry paper towel in the container or bag with the veggies it will absorb the water. Excess moisture on the veggies causes bacteria to grow and results in spoiled veggies. With this tip, you’ll always have a fresh salad!
Hack #5 Keep Cilantro Longer
So many times I have taken cilantro out of the fridge only to realize that it has started to spoil. I learned an awesome hack several years ago that keeps your cilantro fresh for so much longer. As soon as I buy cilantro, I fill up a drinking glass and place the bunch stem-down in water. I store it in the fridge like this and it doesn’t get soggy. I usually can keep it for up to 3 weeks like this without it going bad!
