QUICK KITCHEN TIPS

By Weber County Food $ense Nutrition Education Program

Aside from menu planning, freeze ahead meals, and Revive wilted produce: Don’t throw it away. Put it
the slow cooker, here are some ideas for saving time in ice water for 15 to 20 minutes. It will stiffen it up
in the kitchen when it comes to preparing food. again. To keep your veggie tray crisp before an
event, cover with a damp paper towel and wrap with
Fruit and Vegetable Tips plastic. It can be stored that way for up to 12 hours.

Zesting a lemon: Before using a lemon, lime or Keep slime away in refrigerator produce drawer:
orange, zest it with a micro grater and freeze it for Place several layers of paper towels in the bottom of
future use. Citrus zests better when cool. If only the produce drawer of your refrigerator.
using a small amount of lemon, poke a hole with a
skewer and squeeze. Use your citrus at room Keep bananas from spoiling so quickly: Bananas
temperature or microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds spoil less quickly it they are kept in a bunch. Also, do
then roll for maximum juice. No juicer or juice not store bananas with any other fruit. The gasses
reamer? Use the back of a spoon to juice the half. they emit will ripen the other fruit faster than normal.

Zipping leaves off kale or Swiss chard: Holding Need a soft fruit or vegetable sliced quickly? Use
stem and pinch leaves between index and thumb, your pastry cutter. It works well with avocados,
then pull. strawberries and bananas.

Keep potatoes from budding: Place an apple in the Tired of too many gadgets? Here is an easy way to
bag with the potatoes. core an apple. Sit it on its bottom and slice off a piece
close to the core, then place on flat side. Slice off the
Easy potato peeling: Clean and wash potato, then other two sides; then turn on side and slice last
lightly score with a knife around the middle of the section off. No core and great pieces for slicing
potato. Boil as needed. Once cooked, place in a bowl smaller or dicing.
of ice water. Wait a few seconds, then taking the
potato in both hands, twist gently in opposite Peel a garlic clove: Try one of these methods:
directions at the score line. The skin will come right
off and the potato will be ready to use.  Put the clove in the microwave on HIGH for 10-
12 seconds. Skins peel right off.
Slicing a potato or a round fruit or vegetable: Cut  Use a rubber jar opener. Lay clove in the
a small slice off one side to give a flat side for safer middle of rubber jar opener and fold it over the
cutting. clove. Rub clove vigorously and skin comes
right off.
Keep raw cut potatoes from going gray: Cover  Use a large knife and lay the blade horizontally
them in cold water. They will last until the next day, across the clove. Place one hand carefully on the
but will lose some of their water-soluble vitamins. blade and push down with your hand cracking
However, this is great for Thanksgiving preparation. open the clove. The skin comes right off.

Warm mashed potatoes in a slow cooker: It helps How to chop garlic: No more struggling with
save on stove and oven space. It can also be used for sticky, paper-thin peels. With these three steps—
stuffing/dressing. trim, crush, chop—you can prep a clove in no time.

Save over-salted soup or sauces: Put a raw potato 1. Trim: Use the tip of the chef’s knife to slice off
in over-salted soup or sauces to soak up some of the the hard root of each clove. This will allow the
extra salt. skin to peel away more easily.
2. Crush: Place a clove under the flat side of the refrigerator will make them last for several days
knife, with the blade facing away from you. longer than simply putting them in the fridge. Just
Press the heel of your palm or your fist down on add one part vinegar to 10 parts water and swirl the
the knife until you feel the clove give way. Slip berries around for just a few seconds. Rinse and
off and discard the skin. store.
3. Chop: Gather together the peeled cloves, hold
your knife by the handle, and place your other, Keep bananas from ripening too fast: Wrap the
nondominant hand on top of the blade. Rock, the crown of a banana bunch with plastic wrap to keep
knife up and down through the cloves (the tip the bunch from ripening too fast.
stays on the cutting board). Chop until the garlic
is the size you desire. Mashing potatoes: When making mashed
potatoes, after you drain the potatoes, return them to
Storing leftover tomato paste: Most recipes for the hot pan, cover tightly and let steam for 5 minutes.
pasta sauce and chili call for only a couple of This allows the potatoes to dry out so they'll mash to
tablespoons of tomato paste. If your paste comes in a a beautiful texture and soak up the butter and cream
tube, leftovers aren’t a problem. But, if it’s in a can, more easily.
don’t toss the remainder or let it dry out in the
refrigerator. Instead, freeze it in tablespoon-size Baking Tips
portions in an ice cube tray. Once they’re solid,
transfer the cubes to a plastic freezer bag. Later add If your cake recipe calls for nuts, heat them first in
them directly to recipes—no need to thaw. Try this the oven, then dust with flour before adding to the
with chipotles in adobo and pesto, too. batter to keep them from settling to the bottom of the
pan.
Prevent mushrooms from getting slimy by
wrapping them in paper towels before refrigerating or Freeze butter to make it easier when cutting into dry
store them in brown paper bags. ingredients.

Cutting corn from the cob: Minimize waste and Hold stuffed peppers upright in a greased muffin
mess when cutting corn from the cob by mounting tin.
the cob in the hollow center of a Bundt cake pan,
where it will be secure. When you run a knife down Grease muffin tins, cookie sheets or cake and
the cob, kernels will collect in the pan. bread pans easily: Use a 1-1/2 inch natural bristle
paintbrush dipped in melted margarine or oil to
Turn leftover mashed potatoes into croquettes: grease muffin tins, cookie sheets or cake and bread
Form cold mashed potatoes into little balls, dip in pans. It’s much faster than using a skimpy pastry
beaten egg, coat in bread crumbs, and sauté or bake. brush.
You can also mix in other veggies or cooked meat.
When working with dough, don’t flour your hands;
Leftover guacamole: If you have leftover coat them with olive oil to prevent sticking.
guacamole, spray it with just a bit of cooking spray
before you refrigerate it. The oils from the cooking Flour a cake pan: Use a bit of the dry mix instead
spray will help to keep your guacamole from turning of flour. There won’t be any white mess on the
brown. You can also keep the pit from the avocado in outside of the cake.
the guacamole because the pit contains natural oils
that will also help to preserve it and keep it from
Brush beaten egg whites over pie crust before
turning brown.
baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
Keep berries longer: Soaking berries in a vinegar
and water solution before you store them in the
2
Meatloaf in a hurry: Form meatloaf mixture into Do all cutting at one time: If you know you’ll be
small individual-sized portions and bake the using onion three nights this week, chop enough
meatballs for 10 minutes on HIGH in the microwave. onion for all three meals, then it’s ready when you
need it later in the week.
Shape meatballs: Shaping meatballs is a snap…
once meat mixture is well mixed, use a small melon Shred cheese yourself all at once: Since it’s more
ball scoop or a cookie dough scoop to form the cost efficient to buy cheese in a block and shred it
meatballs. Then bake on a cookie sheet in the oven yourself than buying it preshredded, shred the whole
for 20 minutes at 375º F. block and put it in a zip storage bag in the
refrigerator or freezer.
Easy Homemade Bread Crumbs: Making your
own is a great way to use up the heels of old loaves. Store oils in a squeeze bottle: Olive oil or other oils
Stow the pieces in a large plastic bag in the freezer. stored in a squeeze bottle keep the oils handy for use
When the bag is full, cut the bread into large chunks and the dribbles down the side to a minimum.
and pulse them in a food processor until you have
fine crumbs. Toast the crumbs on a rimmed baking Hamburger patties: Form a nice-sized roll of
sheet in a 350º F. oven, tossing once, until dry, 4 to 6 ground beef, wrap and freeze. Once frozen, slice for
minutes. Use the crumbs to bread cutlets, make patties. Works like a charm for perfectly formed
meatballs, or add crunch to casseroles. The crumbs patties.
will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Make your own mixes: Recipes abound for all
Miscellaneous Tips kinds of time-saving mixes. Devoting one day a
month to making mixes will save you lots of time in
Snipped herbs: Use kitchen shears to cut and snip meal preparation.
fresh herbs in a hurry. Simply place rinsed clean
herbs in a small deep bowl and snip away. Chopped bacon: Freeze bacon to make it chop
easier for some recipes. (Or, buy the bags of
Cube a soft cheese (like cream cheese or Brie): precooked chopped bacon…not expensive and saves
Freeze it first for 20-30 minutes. a lot of mess and time.)

Freeze cookie dough: Try preparing a few batches Holding a cutting board in place: A board that
of cookie dough at once and freezing the extra that slides around the counter while you’re chopping is an
you won’t be baking that day. You can roll the accident waiting to happen. Keep yours anchored
dough in logs first before freezing (wrap the dough with a cut-to-fit piece of rug pad or shelf liner. (The
really well) and then just slice off and bake. added cushioning also helps stabilize a slightly
warmed board.) Wash in the top rack of the
Slicing meat thin: If you need really thin sliced dishwasher as necessary.
meat when cooking stir-fry recipes or other dishes,
try partially freezing the meat before making your Keep herbs tasting fresh: You can keep herbs
cuts. This will make the meat easier to slice very tasting fresh for up to a month by storing them in
thin since it will hold firm while slicing. whole bunches washed and sealed in plastic bags in
the freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to
Brown ground beef: Crumble 3-4 pounds of ground chop, and they’ll defrost the minute they hit a hot
beef on a jelly roll pan. Season to your preference. pan. You can also freeze fresh cut herbs in ice cube
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. trays in olive oil. They are perfect for adding to
Drain with a turkey baster if meat juices are high. sauces, stews, and even sautéing vegetables and
meats.

3
To save a scorched pan, sprinkle the burned bottom the bowl in a microwave and turn it to a high setting.
with baking soda or cream of tartar, then add four to Let the mixture steam up inside of the microwave.
five tablespoons salt, plus enough water to cover, and Wipe down the microwave.
let stand overnight. Scrape out charred remains with
a rubber spatula. Get stains off of countertops: Pour some lemon
juice on top of the stain. Wait a few minutes while
Keep cheese from molding: Dip a large piece of the lemon juice's acid works to break down the stain.
cheesecloth in vinegar, ring out and wrap blocks of Sprinkle a bit of baking soda on top of the stain and
cheese to keep mold from forming. scrub the stain away.

Seal plastic bags: If you have plastic bottles left Use baking soda as an effective degreaser:
over, you can use them to seal up plastic bags. Just Sprinkle it on the grease and rub with a dry cloth.
cut the top portion off about 2’’ down the neck, and The baking soda will absorb the grease and you can
use it to seal the bag. If you are storing produce, it is now simply rinse it away.
important to keep it sealed so that oxygen does not
get through. Just place the cut off section inside the Keep drains flowing: Mix equal amounts baking
bag and replace the lid, ensuring that you have it soda and vinegar, at least a 1/2 cup of each. Pour it
sealed up nicely. down your drain, let sit for a few minutes and rinse it
down with a kettle of boiling water. You will prevent
Keep milk fresh longer: Add a pinch or two of salt many common drain problems if you make this a
to milk or cream to last longer. It will not affect the regular part of drain maintenance.
taste.
Loosen mineral deposits on sink faucets: Soak a
Separate bacon easily: Roll your bacon into tube paper towel in undiluted vinegar and place it on sink
while still in the package. Roll it to both the inside faucets.
then the outside. This will loosen up the bacon so the
strips just peel right off and make it easy to separate Make an all-purpose cleaner: Mix 1 cup of vinegar
them for cooking. with 5 cups of water to make a window, eyeglass
lens or surface cleaner. It won't kill bacteria though,
Cleaning so be sure to use a disinfectant on contaminated
surfaces.
Rub the rust off of your cookware with a half a
lemon dipped in salt. Treat carpet spills, such as coffee or soda: Dampen
a clean cloth with vinegar and dab the spot to remove
Scrub your kitchen sink: Squeeze the juice out of excess liquid. Dampen another clean cloth with
three lemons and mix with salt until you get a paste. vinegar. Using cold water (never hot) and the
Drop some of the paste into the sink and gently scrub vinegar, gently rub the spot until the stain is gone.
the sink with it. Rinse after scrubbing.
Remove stains from porcelain: Rub a porcelain
Clean your microwave: Squeeze enough lemons to surface (sink, tub, commode) with cream of tartar
yield 4 tablespoons of juice. Fill a 4 cup capacity and watch the stains disappear.
bowl with 1 cup of water and the lemon juice. Place

www.extension.usu.edu/weber
This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.