Despite my best efforts to “modernize” some of my kitchen practices, I’m finding that when push comes to shove, old ways are best. Maybe it’s the rising cost of food, maybe it’s having family members who seem to think that the dishwasher magically fills itself, but I’ve been relying on tried and true kitchen practices more than ever.
It seems like they stand the test of time for good reason. They just plain work.
1. KEEP A JAR OF BACON GREASE
I am horrible at sticking with things. One thing I do religiously, however, is save my bacon grease.
It’s such an easy thing to do and the flavoring possibilities are endless. My mother did it and I’m certain my grandmother did, too.
You can fry eggs in it, saute potatoes, vegetables, etc. The options are endless.
And, it’s FREE. Just keep a jar in the fridge and scoop some out whenever you’d like to add a little smoky flavoring to whatever you’re cooking.
My teens are horrified at the very thought of cooking with this, but they devour anything made with it.
2. ADD A PINCH OF SALT TO SWEET DISHES
Believe me when I say that just a teeny pinch of salt makes your sweet treats taste sweeter. Salt balances the sugar creating a perfectly proportioned flavoring.
Try adding a pinch to your next batch of chocolate chip cookies, trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
3. SOAK POTS AND PANS RIGHT AWAY
I usually try to soak the pots and pans right away, but, if I let them sit I definitely wish I’d follow this tip more often. Fill your sink with hot water and soak away.
It takes some of the bite out of having to scrub and scrub away at stuck on food.
4. USE VINEGAR FOR CLEANING
There are lots of commercial products out there for cleaning, but, if you’re trying to save money, vinegar is the answer. Mix some up in a spray bottle and enjoy a chemical-free way to dissolve grease, clean, deodorize and more.
It’s inexpensive and has many uses.
5. STORE HERBS IN WATER LIKE FLOWERS
If you buy herbs at the store and don’t use them all right away, snip the stems, place in a cup of water and cover with a plastic baggie loosely. They’ll stay much longer this way.
Just like flowers.
6. ALWAYS PREHEAT YOUR OVEN
You may not think it’s necessary, but, it is. Especially for baking.
If you’re cooking meat, you’ll find that preheating helps cook evenly as well. Preheating ensures that your oven is an even heat throughout.
That means better texture and being able to trust how long it will take to “finish” what you’re cooking.
7. USE ICE WATER FOR CRISP VEGGIES
Limp lettuce or sad-looking carrots? Soak them in ice water.
Trust me, it’s amazing.
8. PEEL GARLIC BY CRUSHING IT
Place the side of your chef’s knife over the garlic clove and give it a whack. Voila, easily-peeled garlic.
9. KEEP A RUNNING GROCERY LIST
Stick a list on the fridge and add items as soon as you realize you’re low.
10. SAVE VEGETABLE SCRAPS FOR BROTH
Instead of tossing the end of an onion, carrot peels, celery ends and other vegetable leftovers, store them in a bag in the freezer. When you have enough, boil them in water to make a basic veggie broth.
11. USE LEMON TO BRIGHTEN FLAVORS
A little fresh lemon juice can perk up chicken, veggies, soups, and pretty much anything.
12. DRY MEAT BEFORE COOKING
Pat meat dry before searing, grilling or broiling to ensure good browning. Surface moisture prevents crispy, flavorful crusts.
13. KEEP BUTTER SOFT IN A DISH
This is such a simple tip but saves me SO much time and frustration. Keeping a dish of butter in the pantry means it’s always spreadable and ready to slather on toast without ripping it to pieces.
14. USE WOODEN SPOONS TO PREVENT BOIL-OVERS
This one blew my mind. Lay a wooden spoon across the top of a pot of boiling water and it will NOT boil-over.
I have no idea how this works. Try it yourself.
15. CLEAN AS YOU GO
I know, I know…it’s annoying. However, if you take a few moments to clean as you cook, you’ll be thanking yourself when you go to clean up afterwards.
I can NEVER remember to clean as I cook. However, when I try, I’m forever grateful because it means less of a hassle to do dishes later on, especially if I’m cooking in PJ’s.
Washing cutting boards, spoons and other implements as you use them means less dishes all together. Also, dirty dishes soak better after being used.
If you really try to tackle the sink while dinner is cooking, you’ll be rewarded with an empty dish drainer later on.
16. TASTE AS YOU COOK
By tasting as you cook you’ll be able to tweak the recipe to ensure that it’ll be tasty. There’s nothing worse than serving up a dish you know isn’t seasoned correctly.
17. USE BAKING SODA FOR ODORS
Baking soda is one of the least expensive solutions to odors around your house. Line the bottom of your trashcan with a small amount of baking soda, keep an open box in your fridge, and use it to scrub your cutting board after cutting up garlic or fish.
18. LET MEAT REST BEFORE CUTTING
Especially with a juicy, tasty steak, let meat rest for a few moments after removing from heat so that the juices don’t run everywhere. The meat will also re-absorb some of these tasty juices, making each bite better.
19. FREEZE LEFTOVER BREAD
Save money by freezing any bread that’s on its way to becoming stale. Pull out only what you need and pop it in the toaster.
It’ll taste just as tasty, and you’re saving food and money by not throwing away bread.
20. USE SALT TO CLEAN CAST IRON
There’s nothing worse than ruining a good cast-iron skillet. Avoid dish-soap when cleaning your cast-iron, and instead give the skillet a good scrub with salt and a splash of cooking oil.
21. KEEP KNIVES SHARP
In addition to being safer to use, a sharp knife will make your job a whole lot easier and more efficient. Try using a dull knife to cut through a head of lettuce and you’ll soon realize the importance of keeping knives in tip-top shape.
22. STORE ONIONS IN A COOL, DRY PLACE
Store onions in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight instead of leaving them in a plastic bag in a random corner of your kitchen.
23. USE LEFTOVERS CREATIVELY
When in doubt about leftover ingredients, mix ’em together into a casserole or soup. Not only is it a great money saver, it’ll take some of the pressure off of coming up with dinner ideas night after night.
24. ADD PASTA WATER TO SAUCE
This is the solution to a problem I had for way too long. Instead of mysteriously sliding off of your noodles, your sauce will cling to pasta like never before thanks to the starchy water from boiling them.
25. KEEP A WELL-STOCKED PANTRY
If you always have the basic staples on hand, whipping up a last-minute meal is as easy as 1-2-3. Not to mention, it takes the temptation of ordering takeout completely off of the table.
26. USE A DAMP CLOTH UNDER CUTTING BOARDS
My kitchen is anything but zen. There’s noise, there’s clutter, and if it weren’t for some tried and true kitchen hacks, cooking would be impossible.
A dampened dish towel under the cutting board keeps it in place. That’s all.
But it works like a charm.
27. DON’T OVERCROWD THE PAN
Nothing worse than food that didn’t brown because there was just too much in the pan, causing it to steam. Plus, it’s harder to stir ingredients evenly.
Invest in a bigger pan if necessary or cook foods in batches.
28. LABEL AND DATE FOOD
This is another tip I know seems really basic, but you’d be surprised how many “what is this?” foods there are in my fridge if I didn’t do it. Labeling foods as you store them and dating them will save you so much confusion down the road.
Just write it right on the container. Easy!
29. COOK WITH LOVE (YES, REALLY)
This is my favorite cooking tip of them all. Food really does taste so much better when you’re having fun preparing it.
Old fashioned, right? These are the most basic cooking tips, but they’ll definitely help you to cook up a storm, make dinnertime easier and save your sanity.