Tips: Best kitchen hacks that actually work

Did you know you can revive that stale loaf with an easy hack? Photo / 123rf

There are a lot of “tips” out there on the internet, with ways to make cooking easier – but there’s also a lot that just don’t stand up when put to the test.

Here are some kitchen hacks that actually work and make your time in the kitchen just that little bit more efficient.

Sharpen your knives with a mug: Flip a ceramic mug upside down and use the unglazed ring on the bottom to hone the blade of your knife. Simply run the blade along the ring at a slight angle to sharpen.

Revive stale bread: If your bread has gone stale, sprinkle it lightly with water and then put it in a 150°C oven for a few minutes. This can help restore some freshness.

Make light work of peeling garlic cloves with just a bit of a shake. Photo / Getty Images

Easy garlic peeling: To quickly peel garlic cloves, place them inside a small bowl. Invert another bowl over the top to create a sphere, and shake vigorously. Or use a jar for the same purpose. The cloves will separate from their skins. Note: this only tends to work for bigger cloves.

No-mess way to measure sticky ingredients: When using sticky ingredients like honey or peanut butter, spray your measuring spoon or cup with a bit of cooking oil first. The sticky ingredient will slide right out.

Make sticky baking ingredients slide out of the container with a spray oil hack. Photo / Getty Image

Freeze fresh herbs in oil: Preserve fresh herbs by chopping them finely and mixing with olive oil. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. Pop out a cube when you need fresh herb flavour in your cooking.

Prevent boil-overs with a wooden spoon: Place a wooden spoon across the top of a pot of boiling water to prevent it from boiling over. The spoon breaks the surface tension of the bubbles.

Revive over-salted soup or sauce: If you accidentally over-salt a soup or sauce, add a peeled potato or a splash of vinegar to balance out the flavours.

DIY buttermilk substitute: If you don’t have buttermilk, add one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to one cup of milk. Let it sit for five to 10 minutes before using.

Quickly ripen bananas: Place unripe bananas in a paper bag with an apple or a tomato. The ethylene gas emitted by these fruits will speed up the ripening process.

Use dental floss for perfect cake slices: For clean and smooth cake slices, use (unscented!) dental floss to cut through the cake. Slide it under the cake, cross the ends over the top, and pull to slice cleanly.

Pit cherries with a chopstick: No need to buy a cherry pitter – save money and use a chopstick instead. Simply, remove the stem and hold the fruit between two fingers. Push the smaller end of the chopstick into the stem hole. Gently but firmly press the chopstick down into the pit and push it out of the cherry on the other side.

Open jars by tapping on the side with a wooden spoon: Can’t open that jar? Give it a good tap on the side of the lid with a wooden spoon until you hear the pop – works every time.

No more messy silks with a microwave sweetcorn hack. Photo / Getty Images

Shuck corn from the microwave: No more pesky silks all over the place - simply microwave your corn for two to three minutes, then transfer onto a cutting board. Trim a small piece from the stem end (the “handle”) and discard it. Use a clean tea towel to hold the other end (the silk) to protect your hands from the heat of the cob. Push the corn upwards from the stem end, and it will effortlessly slide out of the husk, leaving you with a neatly cleaned ear of corn, ready for grilling, boiling or sauteing on the stove top.