Nobody ever said you were the world’s best cook—or maybe they did! Either way, anyone who does serious time in the kitchen knows how messy it can be. Here are 10 lesser-known kitchen memes to help you streamline your culinary tour.
- Stop boil-overs – Nothing’s messier than cleaning up after a pot boils over. Next time it starts to boil over, place a wooden spoon across the rim to settle the bubbles.
- Clean up a broken egg – Dropped a raw egg on the floor? Who hasn’t? Throw some salt on it to soak up the whites and make the mess easier to clean.
- Nuke your sponge – When your damp sponge seems gross or smelly, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. Voila!
- Hey, honey – When measuring honey or other sticky stuff, spray the measuring cup with cooking spray first. The stuff will slide right out, getting all the ingredients into the recipe and leaving the cup easier to clean.
- Soften brown sugar – Brown sugar hard as a rock? Pop the box into the microwave for 15-20 seconds and the sugar will be ready to use.
- Peel ginger with a spoon – Peeling ginger can be a pain because it’s bumpy and misshapen. Scrape a spoon against the skin and it will come right off. So much easier than using a knife or potato peeler.
- Freeze leftover wine – Got a little wine left in the bottle? Freeze it in an ice cube tray and store it in the freezer. Pop a cube or two into your next ragout or stew, or any time a recipe calls for it. You can also do the same thing with chicken stock.
- Buy a micro-plane – It’s a great tool for zesting a lemon, grating nutmeg or ginger and blanketing a pasta dish with grated cheese. It makes the chore quick and easy, and cleans easily it in the top rack of your dishwasher.
- Keep crudites fresh – Yes, you can make that crudité tray ahead and keep it fresh until party time. Cover the cut-up veggies with damp paper towels, wrap the tray in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you need it.
- Make stainless steel shine – Use rubbing alcohol to clean those stainless steel appliances. Just a little on some cotton balls will do the trick.
