Cooking is one of those things you can study your whole life and still discover new tricks that improve your game. Even professional chefs who travel the world for TV shows often admit that some of their practices come not from culinary schools, but from home cooks in a distant corner of the globe.
A recent post on r/Cooking by Reddit user Nasergames1 asked people to share their most unusual but effective kitchen hacks, and the replies have been pouring in about everything from product selection to their preparation methods, and beyond.
#1
Keep your saran wrap/ plastic wrap in the fridge. It won’t stock to itself, ever, while you’re cutting it. But it warms up immediately & sticks to your bowl you’re covering. Yes, even the cheap kind will work better.
Image source: GingerIsTheBestSpice, goffkein/freepik (not the actual photo)
#2
-Cocoa powder in chili
-peach jam in bbq sauce
-touch of sour cream in scrambled eggs.
Image source: Fromaggio119, Odiseo Castrejon/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#3
I’ve posted about this before, but blow-drying freshly made rice on low so I can make fried rice with it.
Takes only a few minutes and you can do it in the rice pot as opposed to spreading it out onto a pan and cooling it slowly with a fan. Saves time and avoids needing to wash another dish.
Day-old rice from the fridge is the best, but I don’t always have it prepared.
Image source: CatCatExpress, EyeEm/freepik (not the actual photo)
#4
When I make chili I put chocolate and coffee in right before I serve, it adds a another level of flavor that nobody understands but they love it.
Image source: rgbkng, Brooke Lark/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#5
This is completely counter intuitive, but we pour boiling water over our skin-on chicken before baking, and then broil it a bit right at the end. Perfect crispy skin every time.
Image source: alliegata, valeria_aksakova/freepik (not the actual photo)
#6
I use fish sauce in everything savory. Just a dash, splash, or glug depending lol.
Image source: gracelesspsychonaut, Getty Images/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#7
When I make pie crust, I replace half of the water with vodka.
Thanks old school ATK!
Image source: tdibugman, Nathan Dumlao/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#8
Any soup will be made more flavorful and brighter by adding a bit of apple cider vinegar.
Image source: HardCoreNorthShore, ArthurHidden/freepik (not the actual photo)
#9
Unsweetened baking chocolate. Added to chili that you want to cut heat without changing flavor. Needs to be done very carefully, but it works.
Image source: BlkDragon7, Becca Tapert/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#10
Years ago, I worked at a kitchen store, and I had to watch all these training videos about the products we sold. One video showed a use for parchment paper that I thought was SO dumb, but I tried it and have done it religiously ever since. It’s using parchment paper to cook scrambled eggs. You crumple a sheet of parchment paper, open it back up, and press it into the bottom of your pan. Then pour in your eggs and just cook them as usual through the parchment paper. I do it all the time because I hate cleaning eggs out of the pan. When they’re done, I just lift out the parchment paper, scrape the eggs onto my plate, and toss the paper in the compost. The pan is perfectly clean!
Also, this is kinda just for the Jews, but I’m a vegetarian (relevant because there’s no meat in the meal) and my “secret ingredient” when I make matzo balls is to replace half the oil with yogurt and add 1/4 tsp of baking soda. The reaction between the yogurt and soda makes them super fluffy and light, and the yogurt adds back some richness and flavor lost by not using schmaltz. They’re sooo good.
Image source: spiralsequences, Getty Images/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#11
My wife makes homemade chocolate frosting with cream and chocolate pudding powder. Her secret ingredient? – A dash of freeze-dried coffee.
Image source: Ok-Lawfulness-6820, freepik (not the actual photo)
#12
I have a secret to making the best mashed potatoes. Lame… I know, but here goes. After boiling is finished and chunks are soft, drain the water, and return the potatoes to the burner… evap ALL the moisture, THEN add butter salt cream and milk while stirring.
Image source: oilcantommy, On Shot/pexels (not the actual photo)
#13
To line a pan with foil, wet it first and the foil sticks to it.
Image source: r_spandit, Gustavo Fring/pexels (not the actual photo)
#14
Citric acid powder in the right amount, instead of vinegar, makes your salad tangy but not shloshy.
And if you are doing that top it of with a bit of honey. The salad gets really tasty and it brings out the tomato and onion.
Image source: Lickthorn, Getty Images/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#15
Splash a bit of soy sauce on a hamburger in a skillet just after you flip it–it caramelizes at once and is the best thing about the burger.
Image source: xiopan, Getty Images/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#16
I dunno about the blow drying…. Seems unsanitary and also unnecessary. I salt my chicken and leave it in the fridge overnight and the skin completely dehydrates – much more than you could achieve with a blow dryer.
Image source: 4Looper, shazimali462/freepik (not the actual photo)
#17
One of the Zuni roasted chicken recipes I’ve used, the chicken is seasoned under skin & laid out uncovered for 2 days in the fridge. Crispy results.
Image source: kitchenjudoka, Karolina Grabowska/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#18
Use potato chips instead of graham crackers for s’mores. Not the kettle-type chips. Use something cheap and salty like Lays. S’mores are super sweet normally, so the saltiness makes it a more balanced treat. It’s also easier to eat and gluten free! (Which is how I discovered it. Food allergies lead to some delightful discoveries).
Image source: Spidersensei
#19
You can make parmesan ice cream actually tastes good.
Image source: Massive-Exercise4474, Photo By: Kaboompics.com/pexels (not the actual photo)
#20
Uhhh using a blow dryer on raw chicken is a terrible idea. That’s how you get chicken juices and salmonella all over everything. Just pat it with paper towels or leave it uncovered in the fridge for an hour or two.
Image source: natalietest234, freepik (not the actual photo)
#21
I learnt that blow drying was the secret to crispy duck skin. One Christmas I was cooking duck and thought I’d try it out. I’d just got a high speed “blaster” for drying the dogs so stood at the kitchen door with the duck, pointed the nozzle to between the skin and flesh and turned it on. I then discovered why it was called a blaster and had a low-flying headless duck fly down the garden with dogs in hot pursuit 🤣.
Image source: Electronic_Cream_780, Photo By: Kaboompics.com/pexels (not the actual photo)
#22
I peel Ginger, cut it into cubes, blended into a paste, a thin layer in a ziplock bag , freeze , break off as needed. .
Image source: ExpressLab6564, Kelly Sikkema/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#23
I freeze any veg that is about to go off, I will even cut off anything that looks bad and still throw it in. I like freezing tomatoes the best so I can peel and then throw them in a pot. Having been frozen the skin releases easy with just a quick rinse under hot water. I have even used them for fresh salsa. If I need grated onion I go to the freezer and find one of the many pieces that have been sealed and stored. Easy peasy. (avocados freeze well too)
I always have little pieces of veg or even whole veg that isn’t used right away so I do the usual, throw them in a cooked dish if they dont need to be crunchy. All my asparagus ends get frozen and then made into a cream of asparagus soup later which is then used for all sorts of sauces/flavoring and of course soup. I also freeze cheese ends or any that looks funny after cleaning it up for the same reason. Cheese and Grits, to the freezer for the cheese ends. I also freeze leftover rice on a tray and then bag it up for later use – usually breakfast fried rice.
I make yellow rice a lot – turmeric, chicken broth and rice. Turmeric is really nice for adding color to mac n cheese, queso and of course yellow rice and anything in between that needs to have that orange/yellow color.
I make garlic butter ahead of time and sealed in a glass dish. Its always been my hubs fav but he doesn’t know whats in it. His is never the same so I get asked to make it. Its a 1/3 butter 1/3 margarine and 1/3 olive oil combined with a hefty amount of grated garlic, a dash of italian seasoning and a pinch of ground red pepper or just plain pepper. The trio of fats keeps it somewhat spreadable but still rich and delicious. Sometimes I get fancy and press the garlic bread on a plate of parm after they have been buttered before baking them slowly.
I buy bolillo bread instead of french/italian for garlic bread, sub sandwiches/phillys/french dips and hot ham and cheese sandwiches (ham/cheese/mayo/mustard rolled tight in parchment and then foil to slowly bake in the toaster oven, ooey gooey and delicious).
I put a teeny tiny bit of mayo between each layer of ingredients in a sandwich to make everything stick together.
Those are probably all obvious – and now for the dastardly dirty little secret:
I put marmite in just about everything that needs to be savory with an extra kick of umami. It makes sauces, gravies, stews and even spag extra special. It doesnt take much so start with a little (like less than a tsp for 2 people) and adjust. It also has the benefit of adding a darker color to sauces/gravies.
Image source: sputtertots, Getty Images/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#24
I cook a week worth of rice and freeze it in one serving containers so when I don’t have energy to cook I can just microwave one and put some hot sauce on it for a quick fix.
Image source: Absulus, freepik (not the actual photo)
#25
I blow dry potatoes before making French fries, hash browns or home fries. I’m glad I’m not alone.
Image source: ButterscotchAware402, EyeEm/freepik (not the actual photo)
#26
Salt on meat àfter frying. Especially coarse salt. To taste.
Image source: Lickthorn, vitaliiborkovskyi/freepik (not the actual photo)
#27
Two things about salmon 🐟🍣
1) SKIN ON- make SURE your salmon is actually descaled!!! If the skin feels “smooth” it’s probably not. Salmon scales are thin and smooth, running a knife against the grain will pull them off and it makes a huge difference if you are trying to get crispy skin because the skin can be directly in contact with the pan instead of boiling/steaming under the scales.
2) SKIN OFF- Run a kettle of boiling water, then pour over the skin side until it shrinks slightly. Maybe like 10-20sec. This will release the skin from the salmon and you can literally peel it off
bonus, if you descale then remove the skin you can make a salmon skin crisp :P.
Image source: haruhaystudio, Curated Lifestyle/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#28
This is not new news, but baking soda on proteins is the way.
Image source: Piratical88, Yunus Tuğ/unsplash (not the actual photo)
#29
I imagine miso in caramel, brown sugar based or coffee dessert would be good too.
Image source: DConstructed, prostooleh/freepik (not the actual photo)
#30
Ginger, stored in a dark room, lasts a long time.
You can also store it submerged in vodka and it’ll last forever, it doesn’t impact the taste for cooked dishes (weirdly) and when you are done you have ginger infused vodka (win!).
Image source: com2kid, Photo By: Kaboompics.com/pexels (not the actual photo)
#31
I have an inverse tip to the soy sauce/chocolate desserts – whenever I make Japanese curry, I add a piece of dark chocolate. I believe this would work for chilli as well. Really amps up the depth of flavour.
Image source: PanickedZealot
#32
If you are making a box cake/cookies/brownies/muffins/etc. I use softened butter instead of oil, milk instead of water and if you want it fluffier add an extra egg.
Image source: jmerrilee
#33
Vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of Angostura bitters over too.
Image source: rubiscoisrad
#34
I buy my garlic prepeeled from Costco and put it in the freezer. It’s so much easier to mash this way. You can also still mince or use whole.
Image source: saywaah
#35
If you put a head of lettuce in tin foil, it stays crisp and doesn’t wilt or spoil as soon. I have no idea why but it works.
Image source: Laughorcryliveordie
#36
I always pat chicken dry too for roasting, it really does help. Never thought of soy sauce for desserts.
I do make ice cubes of seasoning though. Eg mince up some garlic and chilli’s in a blender and put the paste into an ice cube tray. Then when you make a curry or whatever you just drop one or 2 cubes into your sauce. Can bulk prepare lots of basic sauce ingredients like this.
Image source: Space-Bum-
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