73 Kitchen Hacks to Save Time, Get Organized, and Stay Sane

By Nicole McDermott

So maybe you think you’ve got it all figured out. You’re the MacGyver of the kitchen—spatula in one hand, two eggs in the other. Crack, separate, and plop goes the egg in the bowl… with a bit of shell. The horror! What do you do? Hint: Using a spoon or your fingers isn’t the answer. Thankfully, we have a solution to your egg quandary (number 10) plus quick fixes to tons of other food prepping, cooking, and baking predicament, from pitting a nectarine to softening butter the easy way. We’ve hacked your kitchen—prepare to have your mind blown (even if just a little bit).

Food Storage

1. Keep potatoes white. Cover shredded or diced potatoes with cold water before cooking to prevent the spuds from turning that gross grayish/brown caused by the release of a starch that makes them oxidize.

2. Slow down rotting. Store tomatoes stem end down to keep them from spoiling as quickly. This prevents air from entering and moisture from exiting the scar where the tomato once attached to the vine. Storing them at room temperature rather than in the fridge also makes them last longer.

3. Give bananas a longer life. Keep bananas fresher, longer by wrapping the end of the bunch with plastic wrap. Better yet, separate each banana. The plastic wrap blocks ethylene gases from releasing out of the stem, consequently ripening the fruit too fast (see number 8).

4. Speed up ripening. Be a total magician and morph a banana from green to yellow or a peach from crunchy to juicy all with the help of a paper bag. When fruit is tossed into the bag, concentrated ethylene gas helps it ripen faster.

5. Save cut fruit from browning. You’ve probably heard that a little squeeze of lemon juice can keep apple slices from looking unappetizing. A mixture of one part honey to two parts water works much the same to keep fruit from browning. The citric acid and vitamin C in lemon juice as well as a peptide in honey slows down the oxidation process that causes discoloring.

6. Prevent brown sugar from hardening. Help brown sugar stay soft and scoopable by tossing an orange peel or a slice of apple along with the sugar into an airtight container. For a quick fix, microwave brown sugar next to a small glass of water. The moisture within the microwave will help break up the block of sweetener.

7. Avoid plastic wrap disasters. Had enough of wrangling plastic wrap? Store the roll in the fridge to store leftovers with less of a hassle. Chilling the wrap makes it easier to transport it from the roll to your bowl.

8. Get creative …read more