12 Simple Cooking Hacks that Save Time

Learning simple cooking hacks can save you time and money!

Cooking can be enjoyable if you do not have to deal with the frustration of redoing meals, spoiled foods, burnt and charred foods, among others. While some of those frustrations come with the territory, there is always something you can do to make your cooking life easier and more fun than it is.

Here are 12 cooking hacks that are not only simple but will help you save up a lot of time in the kitchen:

Organize your kitchen

From vegetables and spices to pots and cutlery, make sure everything is quickly accessible and in the right place.

Use a slow cooker

Slow cooking may seem like a waste of time, but if you have tried it you know its benefit. For one, you end up with very tasteful meals.

On top of that, a slow cooker allows you to get busy with other activities of the day, whether or not they involve more cooking.

Use an egg slicer your veggies

If you want to save on time you spend washing utensils, then reduce the utensils you use. Use an egg slicer to cut different vegetables into sizeable parts, whether zucchini, mushrooms, or fruits.

Use aluminum foil to keep it hot

Food can get cold very quickly, especially if you have a lot of meals to prepare for one serving. You do not want to have to reheat your food when it is finally time to eat.

Aluminum foil is a poor conductor of heat, which is how it can keep food warm until serving time.

Make a lot of food

There is no need to keep hitting the kitchen every time you need to snack or get hungry. Make a habit of preparing more food, in such a way that one meal can go for 2 or more servings. With your Japanese bento lunch box to pack your food for lunch, it should not be too hard to prepare your meal far in advance.

Use a zip-top freezer bag for ice cream

Dessert does not have to wait 10 minutes or more for your frozen ice cream to soften. To save your time, store your ice cream in a zip-top freezer bag, which will keep it soft throughout.

Scoop out fats with ice cubes

It gets very frustrating to have to get rid of the excess fats in soups, stews, and stocks. Well, to save you time and energy, wrap a couple of ice cubes in a paper towel, then skim it on top of the soup or stew.

The idea is to encourage the fats to solidify quickly, making it easy for you to scoop them out.

Use a damp towel to keep a cake from sticking

There’s nothing worse than having your cake stick to the pan, and losing half of it. After getting your pan out of the oven, while it is still hot, place it on a damp towel.

Let it sit for a few minutes as it cools, then the cake should come out easily. However, this trick only works for metal and ceramic cake pans, and not as well for glass.

Peel garlic in a jar

Most people struggle with peeling garlic. You can save a few minutes by removing the head of garlic, then place it in a jar with a lid. Shake vigorously for a few seconds and then watch them peel themselves.

Wash fruits and veggies before putting them away

Instead of washing an individual fruit or vegetable every time you need it, wash them all after grocery shopping, before you put them in storage. You can add white vinegar and baking soda in the washing water for better results. This way, you won’t need to peel the veggies and fruits when ready to use.