9 Kitchen Tips to Try

1. Save tomato paste and soups for later

Scoop leftover tomato paste into a plastic baggie, separate into portions with your fingertip, and then freeze flat. Break off a chunk the next time you need a little for a recipe. Since tomato paste is so sticky it’s easier to scoop it into a bag then into an ice cube tray.

2. Chop big pieces of lettuce quickly and easily by zipping through them with a pizza cutter right in the salad bowl.

3. Clean a microwave faster and easier by nuking 2 cups water in a microwave safe vessel for 2 minutes then wiping down the insides with a clean cloth. Add a wedge or two of lemon to the water for some real cleaning power!

4. Freeze soft cheese like fresh mozzarella for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice or shred.

5. No need to peel garlic cloves if you have a garlic press. Just pop the whole clove in the hopper, press, and then remove the empty peel.

6. Easily slice big-leafed herbs like basil and sage by stacking, rolling, and then slicing across into ribbons.

7. To prevent quinoa from falling through your fine mesh sieve while rinsing, run the sieve under water first to create a barrier between the quinoa and mesh.

8. No cherry pitter? No problem. Use an empty bottle and a hard straw or chopstick to remove pits from cherries and olives.

9. Hook a plastic bag around the faucet head in your kitchen sink then peel potatoes, slice off melon rinds, etc straight into the bag for easy cleanup.

Have you ever tried these hacks? Tell me in comments!