Kitchen secrets

[valeriedl]

I thought I try starting a post about things that people do in their kitchen to make life easier in it. How to keep things clean or easy ways to do it, easy ways to keep things organized and stuff like that. This isn't for recipes unless you know of a way to make something and not burn it or to keep a pot from boiling over.

Let us know of some of the things you do or ask questions about how to do things.


When I clean my dish washer I throw some Tang (the powered orange drink) in it. It comes out looking like new.

Every thing I keep in the fridge I keep in clear containers so I can SEE what's in it. I used to put my left overs in old butter, cottage cheese, sour cream containers so I'd never know what was in it. When I'd open the container, thinking it was butter or what ever the stuff would be as moldy as can be! I've thrown out every container you can't see through.

Also in the fridge I try to move the older things to the front and newer things to the back, this way the older food gets used first.


Questions:

My counters soak up anything that has coloring in it. I try to lay spoons on paper towels but sometimes it runs into the counter. Sometimes I can scrub it for 15 minutes with a soapy cloth (I can't use a brillow pad) and it will come out, but I usually have to just wait till it fades away - this could be as long as a month.

Is there an easy way to clean your microwave, there is stuff stuck to the top that is really hard to get my hands in the right way to get off.

[Aubrey]

When I clean my dish washer I throw some Tang (the powered orange drink) in it. It comes out looking like new.

Sweet!

But I don't have any answers to your questions, unfortunately. I wish I did, my counters do that, too.

[Rae1889]

For the stain, I use toothpaste. Works on my countertops.

For the microwave, I use white vinegar diluted with water.

Other tricks I use. I put a clove of garlic in an toilet paper tube and roll it to get the skin off without my fingers smelling bad.

I use a dry erase marker on my pretty tupperware container lids so I can write what's in it and the date I put it in the fridge. And it comes off when I do the dishes.

I squeeze lemons with the pulp facing up toward my palm so no seeds get in my food while I'm juicing over top.

I put a container in the freezer and fill it with leftovers I can use for a soup. Any left over veggies, cabbage rolls, left over meat like bacon, chicken etc. And at the end of the month I throw it in a crock pot with some water and let it cook all day

[Nakamova]

Another thing to help with cleaning the microwave is to zap a container of water in there for 5 minutes or so. The resulting steam helps loosen cooked-on crud and make it easier to sponge off.

[Endless]

Questions:

My counters soak up anything that has coloring in it. I try to lay spoons on paper towels but sometimes it runs into the counter. Sometimes I can scrub it for 15 minutes with a soapy cloth (I can't use a brillow pad) and it will come out, but I usually have to just wait till it fades away - this could be as long as a month.

Is there an easy way to clean your microwave, there is stuff stuck to the top that is really hard to get my hands in the right way to get off.

Counters - Bon Ami or Bar keepers Friend. It doesn't scratch, works like crazy. What kind of counters do you have? If laminate/formica, you can use a little bleach on a paper towel left to soak a few minutes. Other surfaces this could bleach out and wreck.

Microwave - I agree about the dish of water. That's what I usually do.

Ditto on the marking containers, but I use the original containers and a permanent marker. Otherwise I'm always keeping juice too long.

Kitchen floor - I got a dog. No more need to sweep between moppings. He eats whatever people drop and licks the floor to get it extra-clean. I believe this has been of the dogs major functions since before the invention of the mop.

The shelves in my fridge have plastic shelf liner on them. When I clean the fridge the shelves don't have to be removed, just the shelf liner taken out and rinsed off.

Some things I have made harder for myself intentionally. It makes things safer for a person who has complex partial seizures. My chef's knives are in their block pushed to the back on a bottom shelf in the kitchen where they are hard to get at. I have baby-proofing knobs on my kitchen stove.

[mel239]

YES! Micro the water and just leave the door shut for about 10 minutes and everything melts off! Of course,this gives my boys free license to heat stuff up again without covering it haha!

[valeriedl]

The tooth paste works great!!! I had a stain on the counter and it was gone in less than a minute!!!


Any way to cut onions with out crying?

[Nakamova]

Any way to cut onions with out crying?

If you make the onions cold first, that helps. Throw them in the fridge or freezer before you chop them, and/or run them under cold water while you are peeling them.

Another thing that is supposed to help is to only breathe through your mouth while chopping the onions. I haven't tried this but I'm going to next time...

[valeriedl]

You cut up potatos ahead of time and let them sit in cold water so they don't turn brown. They can sit in the water for hours. Then when you're ready to boil, fry or what ever just drain the water and do it.

[jyearta]

I wrap celerly, in aluminum foil, this keeps it fresh longer, I also do the same with bell peppers

[Nakamova]

Good to know! I'm going to wrap the celery right now.

[nicholasscott21]

I so like an uncluttered kitchen but somehow things fill the empty spaces and then things pile up!

[jyearta]

I use a bread box on my counter top. I put all my little stuff in it. Like my note-pad, pen, desk calender, etc that like of stuff.
It all right there for me - but nobody can see it.

[nicholasscott21]

Cool, will purchase a bread basket

[Rae1889]

If you nuke a lemon or lime or orange in the microwave for 20 seconds you can get more juice out of it.

I use a food processor on slice or dice to cut onions and all the other food I have to chop. I'm like "banned" from the kitchen for seizure safety so I don't use knives unless I absolutely have to. I also have a slap chop for smaller things.

You can de-seed a pomegranet by putting a half in a bowl of water and peeling and cracking it under the water. No staining things and no random flying pieces

[mel239]

thanks Rae-love pomegranites,a holiday ritual in my house but boy are my kids stained! Putting potatoes that you have cut for french fries in cold water not only keeps them from turning brown but pulls the starch out so when you fry them they are golden and crispier.I also fry each batch not quite done and then finish them all off when its closer to dinner-that way I can make a bunch without them getting cold and soggy too fast and dont forget to salt when they come out that last time but dont over do it!

[valeriedl]

I use a food processor on slice or dice to cut onions and all the other food I have to chop. I'm like "banned" from the kitchen for seizure safety so I don't use knives unless I absolutely have to. I also have a slap chop for smaller things.

My husband got me a slap chop last year for christmas and it's the best thing in the world! I love it!

[Sheri]

When you bake something and food cooks onto your cookie sheet, put a little water and a dryer sheet on it and let it soak over night. The food comes right off without scrubbing.
I don't know how it works but it does! :-)

[Endless]

Oxyclean and hot water left overnight to soak in a burned pan or a baked-on mess does wonders. It also removes mineral build-up on clear glasses. Works wonders on bathroom tile and bathtub/showers, too. One more use - soak stained kitchen towels in it overnight.

Boil rubarb in pots that have permanent staining or burned-on materials. Stuff just comes off.

Use "no splash" bleach to treat grout. It's a gel, so it's better at staying where you put it.

[Loopy Lou]

Can't get the smell of garlic off your hands? Find some stainless steel and rub your hands on it. Removes the smell! I usually rub my hands on the stainless steel sink.

This is important for me because one of my partials is a smell of stale, salty garlic. So sometimes I didn't know if its because I've been cooking with it or its a partial!