14 essential kitchen secrets
These 14 tips will have you cruising around the kitchen like a pro.
1. Check the freshness of eggs by placing them in a large bowl of water. Fresh eggs will sink to the bottom while the older eggs will float.
2. Veggies often go rotten due to their moisture seeping out. Extend their life by lining the bottom of your vegetable drawer with paper towels.
3. If your sparkling wine has gone flat you can bring it back to life by adding a couple of raisins to the bottle. The natural sugars will bring back the fizz.
4. Only need a teaspoon of lemon juice? Instead of cutting it open and drying out the unused portion, just pierce the skin with a sharp knife and squeeze out what you need.
5. Store strong woody herbs such as rosemary and thyme in the freezer. Simply wash, dry and seal in zip lock bags.
6. If you often find moths in your flour or rice, add a bay leaf to keep them away.
7. Revive yesterday’s cake or muffin by sprinkling them with water and placing in a paper bag in the oven for 10 seconds.
8. Return the crunch to limp celery or carrot by placing in a bowl of cold water with ¼ of a raw potato.
9. If you don’t want your bananas to ripen too quickly, keep them stored as a bunch in your fruit bowl instead of separating them.
10. If you use a lot of butter, keep some stored in the freezer so that you never run out. It will keep for up to 6 months.
11. To prevent the dreaded mould on top of your sour cream or cottage cheese, simply store the container upside down. This creates a vacuum in the tub
12. If your honey gets crystals in it, these can be removed by simply heating in a bowl of hot water. Avoid storing it in the fridge as this causes the crystals to form also.
13. If you have some brown sugar in the pantry that has gone hard, you can soften it my popping it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
14. If your Tupperware has become smelly from a curry or casserole, it’s possible to remove the odour. Crumple up some newspaper and place it inside to absorb the smell, then give a quick wash.
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