Simple Tips From Grandma’s Kitchen

Everyone is talking about life hacks. These new, “why did I not think of that?” tricks to make life easier. Only this is not a new concept. Nope when I was a little girl I loved looking through a first edition Betty Crocker cookbook. She shared lots of great tips that are now showing up across the web as “new” ideas. Here are some simple tips from Grandma’s Kitchen just in time for the holidays.

Easy peel potatoes. This one popped up a few months ago on a video. I have been doing it for years. Peel a line across your potato and boil it. The peel with then come right off with a spoon. Want to save even more time? Leave the skin on when making mashed potatoes. The skin holds most of the nutritional value of the potato.  Store potatoes with an apple to keep them from budding.

Don’t cry while cutting that onion. Grab a match stick, place it between your teeth chemical side out. The chemicals in the match stick will absorb the chemical in the onion that makes your eyes water. Another option is to soak a peeled onion in cold water before cutting.

Cut through sticky without sticking. Dip your kitchen shears or knife into water or even oil to keep sticky stuff like marshmallow and candies from building up on the blades. Without sticky goop building up cutting the whole batch is a breeze.

Freeze meat for a smooth cut. About an hour before you go to start dinner pop fresh meat into the freezer for smooth even cuts. If cooking previously frozen meat cut before it reaches full thaw.

Wash fruits and veggies easier. Add salt or vinegar to your fruit and veggies when you wash them to make washing easier and use less water. Commercial produce wash holds nothing on good old-fashioned vinegar.

Kill the smell. When cooking stinky foods like fish place a bowl of vinegar on the stove (off the burners). This will help absorb the smells. Leave it while you eat and by the time you wash dinner dishes no one will smell what you cooked for dinner.

Soothe the spice or prevent it all together. Before chopping your favorite spicy pepper rub a bit of oil on your hands to stop the juice from the spicy pepper from getting into your skin. If it is too late for you try rubbing milk on your hands to turn the heat down a notch.

To check an egg put it in a bowl of cold water. Good eggs will sink to the bottom and bad eggs will float. In between eggs are less fresh and ideal for hard-boiled eggs.