Whether you’re out of buttermilk or want the crispiest of fries, check out today’s Tuesday’s Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer for some Seriously Cool Kitchen Hacks and Tips!
We’ve all been there in the kitchen whether we’re out of some ingredient or cupcake liners (fyi cupcakes without a liner just are just wrong). Or what about you go to make fries with you perfect burger only to have to flip them half way through annnnnnnnnnnd you end up burning yourself annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd your fries are only really crispy on one side. Yeah it sucks and it can be painful. I’ve been writing these tips for years now and just when I think I’ve seen or done it all, there’s always something new that makes me stop and go “WOW! That’s genius!!!”
Today I’m not going to tell you how to make buttermilk (I’ve shared that a bajillion times on here) or how to prevent your brown sugar from forming lumps. Nope, not gonna share that again. No, today I’m going deep into the archives of either my mind (which is a scary place) or good ol’ google. Also what I want to see are some of your kitchen tips and tricks in the comments too!
Okay let’s go!
♥ So you really want cupcakes but you’re out of liners. Now you technically can just grease/flour the wells and make cupcakes that way but let’s face it, it’s just a small cake and not a cupcake. Cupcakes should legally require a cupcake liner. So when you’re out simply cut 5″ squares of parchment paper. Lightly spray the cupcake well and press the paper into the well. VOILA! Instant cupcake liner!
♥ Nobody likes a soggy fry! When it comes to fries there must be no limp, no sog or and no droopage. I’ll go into how to make super crispy home made fries in another posts as that involves an ice bath and double frying at 2 different oil temps. No, today it’s all about those frozen fries. Admit it, you have a bag in your freezer. They all require us cook them at a higher heat on a cookie sheet or baking tray. What they don’t tell you is this: When you are preheating your oven preheat your baking tray at the same time! If you preheat the tray there is no need to flip your fries or open up your oven door losing that heat. Also before you put them on the pan you can also lightly mist them with vegetable oil for a great crisp.
♥ How to open those seriously stuck jars! So I’m fortunate as I married my own He-Man with unnatural strength so I never have to fret about opening up a jar. However I was single at one point and would struggle at times opening up that jar of pickles. I’d tap it with a knife, bang it off of the counter (yeah don’t do that… I broke a jar and it went EVERYWHERE!) Growing up gas stations used to give out those rubber round discs that you would put over top of the jar and then it would help you grip the lid and open it up every time. So when I moved I lost mine so I improvised. I just took a large gumband (rubber band for your non-Pittsburgh folks) and wrapped it around a few times around the jar lid until it was snug. I just then grabbed it and POP! The lid popped off with a twist.
♥ Skip tying up your chicken and turkey! So if you’re not a pro at trussing your chicken and turkey, no fear. I’ve been doing this for a few years and I actually prefer this better. Instead of tying up the legs, simply make 2 slits in the skin on each side of the cavity opening (about an inch or two in. Then simply feed the drumstick into the slits. The bird stays compact and you don’t have to go all Fifty Shades of Grey on your chicken and tie it up!
♥ Make your own ground meat. So I quit buying ground turkey, chicken and pork years ago. If you have food processor just use that! I chop my meats up into smaller chunks then toss them into the food processor and pulse until I get that ground meat texture. Now it won’t look like those stringy packages you find in the fridge (it’s only that way because it goes through an extruder) but it’s still the same thing. This way I know exactly what’s in my meat and I can control how much fat I want to put in it!
♥ Foaming at the.. jar? Skip those kitchen milk frothers. Seriously all you need is a mason jar, lid and an arm. Just fill the mason jar no more than half way full of milk, secure the lid and shake what your mama gave ya! Get it super frothy, remove the lid and microwave for a few seconds to heat up.
Now you – what are some of your genius kitchen tips and tricks?
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