Make the Most of Those Groceries

7 food hacks to make the most of those groceries

Easy-to-do kitchen solutions

YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD IT all figured out. You’ve baked more cookies and roasted more chickens over the years than you can count – so what else could you possibly learn when it comes to easy meal prep? A lot, as it turns out.

These simple food hacks are game changers.

1 This hack is B-A-N-A-N-A-S! Tired of watching your bananas turn brown simultaneously? Keep this yellow fruit fresh longer by separating the bunch and placing plastic wrap around each stem. The wrap locks in the ethylene gases emitted from the stem that lead to rapid ripening.

2 No-tears onion chopping Chopping onions can be a much less “emotional” experience if you stick the offending vegetable in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing it up. Don’t have time to wait for that deep freeze? Put a slice of bread in your mouth, partially sticking out of your mouth, to absorb the irritant gas before it reaches your peepers. You’ll look ridiculous, but it works!

3 Check if eggs are still edible The (much appreciated) best-before date on the carton has come and gone – but does that really mean your eggs are no longer edible? To find out, simply place the raw eggs in a bowl of cold water. If the eggs sink to the bottom, then they are good to go. If they float, then they have seen better days.

4 Butter me up! Think it’s impossible to keep cheese fresh? Saran wrap and plastic containers just don’t cut it – but butter certainly will! The next time you slice off a piece of cheese, put a thin layer of butter or margarine on the cut side. It keeps the refrigerator air from oxidizing cheese and discourages mould growth thanks to its fat composition.

5 Wooden spoon You probably grew up watching your grandmother resort to this simple hack – placing a wooden spoon across a pot prevents the water from boiling over. How does this magic happen? A wooden spoon weakens the foaming bubbles when they come in contact with it.

6 Prevent brown sugar from hardening Keep brown sugar soft by tossing an orange peel or apple slice into an airtight container with the sugar. If your sugar is already hard, simply microwave the brown sugar next to a glass of water and voila! The moisture in the microwave will break up that block of sweetener in no time.

7 Minty fresh Keep your herbs fresh by placing them in an ice cube tray or muffin tin to freeze them in water, olive oil or vegetable stock to use for seasoning at a later date.