If you are like me, you probably have been cooking for years. Your mom or other family member taught you from the time you were knee high. Family secrets, recipes, and even cooking tips are shared in the kitchen, for the most part. But I have to say, there is always something to learn when it comes to cooking.
Here are some fun tips, that you may know – or not. I know there were a few that I didn’t! Check them out!
20 Smart Cooking Tips You May Not Know
1. Never sear meat in a non-stick pan: It won’t brown nicely – you will end up with splotchy, grey meat.
2. Never heat non-stick pans past the manufacturer’s instructions (or past medium heat, if you no longer have the instructions).
3. When cooking crock pot meat, sear first. Use meat with the highest fat marbling to prevent greyness.
4. Make your own incredible butter. Whip 35% cream until it is firm. Squeeze out whey. Add orange zest & a splash of juice.
5. Keep cheesecloth in your kitchen. It’s handy for straining liquid from yogurt, tofu and straining whey from home-made butter!
6. Rub your steak or roast with fresh cut garlic before cooking. Stick slivers of fresh garlic deep into your meat for incredible flavor.
7. Be prepared! Always keep your pan lid handy for dowsing fat fires – they do happen! (Put lid onto pot to smother flames.)
8. Keep a kitchen fire extinguisher handy in your kitchen – and learn what to do for different types of fires.
9. Use vegetable oil instead of butter in cakes containing dense, starchy fruits and veggies, like carrots, apples, and banana.
10. Next time you make gingerbread cake, try replacing your liquid (but not fat) with ginger beer!
11. Do as much of the prep as you can the night before for stress-free cooking. (What do you set out in advance?)
12. To add oil to a dish already cooking, add it in the edge of the pan. That way, it will be heated when it reaches your food.
13. Make sure fruits and veggies are stored in a refrigerator, no warmer than 40 F.
14. Wash your fruit and veggies before peeling – not after. (Too much risk of contaminating the knife, if you wash after.)
15. Soak veggies like broccoli and cauliflower in cold water for at least three minutes to make sure contaminants are released.
16. Add a splash of milk to salted water when cooking to keep cauliflower white. Rinse momentarily in cold water before serving.
17. Dry your potatoes before mashing by returning them to the pan after draining. Cover. Let them sit on turned-off burner for 5 min.
18. When storing fresh herbs, stand the stems in a glass of water in your refrigerator. They shouldn’t go limp and will stay fresh.
19. For a quick and easy meal, cover uncooked ribs in roast pan with BBQ sauce and 1 liter Coke. Cover and simmer at 325F for 2 hours.
20. Save leftover sauce in ice cube trays. When frozen, add to bag of same type of sauce cubes. Reheat and use for quick dishes.
Share with me some of your favorite cooking tips! I bet there are more out there. In fact, I will be sharing 20 more next week!
Hi! I’m Chris! Just a Midlife Wife sharing about life’s journey; screaming and kicking through it while supposedly aging gracefully…
Focusing on healthy living, low carb & keto, things I am loving right now, and life in general.