If you think homemakers have it easy, think again. Sure, there are some days when you have it all figured out – the kitchen is spick and span and everything is exactly where it should be. However, on most days, you are a complete mess. In fact, being a homemaker is perhaps more challenging than the toughest of corporate professions out there! Don’t worry, we have compiled a list of some simple yet super effective hacks for tackling the worst of kitchen disasters.
Food Storage Tips
Simply stacking the groceries haphazardly in the larder does more harm than good. Food storage requires a lot of meticulous planning. Different kinds of vegetables have to be stored in different conditions. For instance, diced or shredded potatoes remain fresh and white for a long time when kept in cold water. There are several other tips that you can check out below:
1. Sprinkling some lime juice and honey on sliced fruit works wonders in keeping them from browning
2. Throw in an orange peel in the airtight container of sugar to keep brown sugar from turning soggy
3. Wrap the end of the banana bunch with plastic to keep them fresh
4. Tomatoes last longer when stored at room temperature than inside the fridge.
5. Always keep a healthy stock of packaging material such as plastic bottles, containers of different sizes, etc., so that you’re never tempted to store foods in messy and disorganized conditions.
Food Prep Hacks
Everything from the spices to the vegetables and other ingredients has to be prepped up just right. Peeling and chopping vegetables is a tedious chore that many homemakers are wary of. Yes, we’ve all gone through the pains of having to season, marinate, grind, mix, and sauté ingredients before dumping them in the frying pan to enhance their flavor. Here are some quick and simple tips that will save time and get the job done:
1. Scoop out the seeds of pumpkins or squash using an ice-cream scoop – it works better than a normal spoon
2. Skimming ice cubes wrapped in a cotton cloth over steaming hot stews and broth solidifies the extra fat, making it easier to remove
3. Microwave citrus fruits for a minute before you start peeling them, it is easier that way
4. Avoid using a peeler to remove the skin of potatoes – boil it for a few minutes and then cool it down. The skin would easily separate from the vegetable.
5. Add a dash of vinegar or baking soda to the water when boiling an egg – it makes the shell come off.
6. Wrap up the lemon or other citrus fruits in cheesecloth before you squeeze it – it collects the seeds.
7. Frozen onions are easier to chop, it doesn’t burn your eyes. Similarly, frozen cheese is easier and lots less messy to grate.
Some Simple Cooking Hacks
Whipping up delicious meals is no easy task – it is an art that demands precision and planning. We’ve all had planned elaborate meals in our heads, only for the superstar dishes to end up burnt or half-cooked.
No more compromises with ordering takeaways and heating up leftover cold food from the fridge. Here are some effective cooking hacks that would help homemakers overcome the various difficulties they face in their culinary endeavors:
1. Flipping fries or vegetables when in the oven can get complicated. preheating the cookie sheet eliminates the need to flip it halfway through
2. Chill the breast section of the chicken before roasting it – this ensures the meat is evenly cooked. The legs and thighs, being darker, require more time to cook.
3. Use a metal mesh strainer to remove the excess egg white for that perfectly cooked poach
4. Place a cup of water in the microwave before you reheat pizzas or other baked good, it retains the moisture content of the food
Cleaning-Up the Mess
A messy kitchen is the worst nightmare of a homemaker. Sticky pans, dirty pots in the sink, grease-stained walls, vegetables were strewn on the counter- it’s all your fears come true. Now, the dishwasher is not suited to clean all utensils. For instance, you will have to scrub and wash the iron pans yourself. Instead of scrubbing the surface of a cast-iron pan with soap, try a salt-scrub instead. Other cleaning tips are you could use in your everyday life are listed below;
1. To remove the smell of garlic and other spices from your fingers, rub lemon juice or baking soda on your hands and wash them thoroughly
2. Don’t try to wash off the chunks of coffee stuck in-between the grinder. Throw in a few pieces of bread instead. The coffee sticks to the bread.
3. Scrubbing vegetables with baking soda effectively remove the grime and pesticides from the vegetable skin.
4. Boil the old wooden spoons in a pot of water then dry it under the sun.
5. Store knives and spoons but keep them upside down. You can also use wine corks to cover or screw the cover the sharp edges of the knives.
The Bottom Line
The kitchen is your workstation, a space that is exclusively yours to cherish. Obviously, you’d want to clean and well-organized. And that is what we help you with. The next time you find yourself in the middle of a crisis, standing in the kitchen, trying to fix a botched up dish or clean a particularly nasty spot in the wall – you know where to look for help!