8 Kitchen Tips & Simple Solutions

Pressing tofu dry prior to cooking improves its texture and allows for better browning, but it’s a time-consuming process. Next time, try this shortcut.
1. Drain the tofu and cut it into pieces of the desired size.
2. Place the tofu on a coffee filter set on a plate; microwave on medium power for 4 to 6 minutes or until the coffee filter is damp.

Even after you blanch and shock tomatoes or stone fruits, a knife can still sometimes fail to remove the skin effectively. When your paring knife fails you, try placing stubborn fruits in a dish towel and rubbing lightly.

Blanching tomatoes (or peaches) in a pot of boiling water is a great way to remove their skins, but when you need to peel just a single piece of fruit, try this shortcut.
1. Microwave 1⅓ cups of water in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup for 1 to 2 minutes, until simmering.
2. Cut a shallow x into the bottom of the fruit, drop it into the hot water for 30 seconds, and then transfer it to ice water for 30 seconds.
3. The skin pulls right off.

Removing the seeds from one tomato is a snap, but this task becomes time-consuming when a recipe calls for several pounds of tomatoes. Here’s a shortcut.
1. Core the tomatoes and cut them into pieces.
2. Spin the chopped tomatoes in the basket of a salad spinner until most of the seeds are released. Repeat the spinning process as necessary to remove excess seeds.

Use the serrated edges of a grapefruit spoon to cut out the seeded portion of tomatoes after quartering them. It’s more effective than using a regular spoon—and less messy than using your fingers.

A. Use a large star tip from a pastry bag to core tomatoes. Pierce the tomato at the stem scar with the pointed end of the tip, give it a twist, and use the tip to cut out and remove the core.
B. You can employ a similar technique with an apple corer inserted halfway into the tomato.

Instead of chopping whole canned tomatoes on a cutting board and ending up with tomato juice all over the counter, cut them up right in the can with a pair of kitchen shears.

Place unwashed tomatoes stem end down at room temperature. I’ve found that this prevents moisture from escaping and bacteria from entering through the scar, prolonging shelf life. If the vine is still attached, though, leave it on and store the tomatoes stem end up.