We all need help in the kitchen, right? Perhaps these tidbits will make a frustrating cooking life a little easier. Do you have others to share? Share them in the comments!
• For a smelly cutting board, rub it with a sliced lemon or lime.
• To keep the cutting board from sliding around, place a moist kitchen cloth under it. A paper towel will do.
• To keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh, grind lemon, orange or grapefruit peels in it. Keep the rinds in a plastic bag in the freezer and use them whenever the disposal starts to bite back.
• The microwave is the perfect place to melt chocolate.
• To release two glasses that are stuck together, put cold water in one and the bottom of the other in hot water. They should immediately come apart.
• Vanilla extract will help take away the pain of burned skin. So will a paste of baking soda and water.
• Store fresh herbs up to 5 days if you wrap them in a wet paper towel, place that in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator.
• To take away the onion smell on your hands, rinse your hands in cold water, then rub them with salt, and wash them again.
• To take away a fish smell on your hands, rub them with lemon, then wash normally.
• Keep plastic wrap in the refrigerator to make overall handling better.
• Use cold water to clean plates and pans with eggs, dough, sauces and puddings.
• To clean grease, use hot water mixed with baking soda.
• To sharpen dull scissors, cut a piece of sandpaper into strips.
• Put bay leaves or cloves in kitchen drawers where you don’t want crawling insects to roam.
• You can use orange juice to clean chrome. Acidity rules.
• Put a piece of chalk in your silver chest to absorb moisture and slow tarnishing.
• Thaw frozen fish in low-fat milk so the milk will draw out the frozen taste and restore fresh flavor.
• Rinse ice cubes in water to reduce fizz from carbonated beverages.
• To clean a wok, don’t use soap and water. Pour a small amount of salt in the pan and scrub the pan with a paper towel moistened with cooking oil. Wipe it clean with a clean paper towel.
• You can revive limp celery by wrapping it in a moist paper towel and standing it in a jar of water.
• To end persistent foot odor, soak your feet in tea. The tannic acid in brewed tea eliminates the odor. Make sure you throw out the water though. Eww.
