15 Food Hacks

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Food preparation and consumption is a very vital part of our daily life. Without food our body will be unable to function properly and this can lead to death. Most people find the issue of cooking and preserving food very complicated and time-consuming but there are few simple tricks that you can use to maneuver all the stress involved with food preparation and also save time and money.

Here are some food hacks that will come in handy;

1. Ripen Banana Slowly Using a Banana Hanger: Try to purchase a banana hanger, this will stop your banana from getting bruised and spoiling quickly. Put the banana hanger in a place that is well aerated and this will slow down the ripening process.
2. Mash Potatoes Better Using a Hand Mixer: To skip the stress that comes with mashing potatoes with your hand you can make use of an electric hand mixer. This will save you a lot of stress and ensure that the potato mash is free from lumps.
3. Microwave Pizza with Water: When you want to microwave your leftover pizza and revive cheesiness, just microwave the dried-out pizza alongside a mug of water. The evapouration moisture from the water will fill the microwave and rehydrate the dry crust of the pizza given you a cheesy slice again.
4. Grate Butter for Easy Spread: To make cold butter easier to use, try grating it to soften the perfect amount you need for your toast or bread. This will make the butter easier to spread without destroying your loaf in the process.
5. Use Nutritional Yeast for a Cheesy Flavour: To give your dairy-free dishes a rich cheesiness, try adding nutritional yeast while cooking them. This is a great way to impact the desired cheesiness.
6. Revive Stale Bread with Water: To make your old bread more edible, sprinkle a few tablespoons of water over the bread then put it in a pre heated oven for few minutes. This trick will bring your stale bread back to life. This trick works best on whole and unsliced bread.
7. Store Your Herbs Like Flowers: To make your cut herbs last, keep them upright in about 2 inches of water like you will do to a bunch of flowers. Place them in direct sunlight and change the water regularly. This will make them last longer.
8. Correct Your Burnt Biscuit with a Grater: When baking biscuits and they get burnt at the bottom or edges, do not throw them away. Using a grater, carefully grate off the blackened parts and they will become perfectly edible. You can also dip them in melted chocolate and leave them to cool.
9. Microwave Lemons to Get More Juice: To get more juice out of a lemon, try microwaving it on high temperature for about 20 seconds. This will make it warmer, softer and easier to squeeze. This will come in handy when trying to make lemonade.
10. Add Salt to Sweet Dishes and Sugar to Savoury Dishes: This is a great trick for balancing out flavours in foods. Sugar subtle the acidity of food ingredients and a pinch of salt can strengthen the gluten in flour during baking. Salt also adds a pleasing savoury flavour to caramel or chocolate.
11. Easy Way to Peel Tomato: When making dishes like tomato sauce or salsa where you need to peel off the skin it can be very stressful trying to peel off the skin. You can do it easily by dropping the tomato in boiling water for 15-20 seconds, then remove them and put directly into iced water until it cools. By doing this you can easily peel off the skin.
12. Stop Syrup from Sticking to Your Spoons: To stop syrup from sticking to your spoons, try dipping the spoon into hot water first before dipping into the syrup. You can also wipe the spoon with neutral flavoured oil before dipping into the syrup.
13. Add Lentils to Sauces to Bulk Them: When cooking on a budget, you can add lentils to meat sauces, soups and salads to make them a filling dish. These lentils are also a great source of fiber and protein.
14. Make Your Omelet in a Mug: Using a mug to cook your omelet is very quick and simple. Whisk your eggs with seasonings and grated cheese or chopped ham, and then pour the mixture into a greased mug. Microwave it on high temperature for one minute, stir and then microwave for another minute. This will give you a wonderful omelet.
15. Blanch Your Vegetables: To keep your green vegetables green try blanching them. To do this, you have to cook the vegetables in boiling water for 2-3 minutes then plunge them into a bowl of ice water. This will stop them from overcooking and retain their crispy texture and colour. It also removes bitterness from certain vegetable varieties.