FOOD + DRINK
GET CLEVER in the kitchen
LIFE IS ALL ABOUT HACKS – how we can save time, make less mess, be more efficient and generally‘ better’ is a major concern it seems, but when it comes to kitchen hacks, I think the pressure should be taken off a little. It’ s all very well being tempted by heated kitchen rails that simultaneously warm red wine while steaming tea towels, or a microherb garden for the ambitious urbanite that slots neatly between floating knife rack and magnetic toaster, but for many of us the kitchen is still very much the heart of the home and often a busy and messy, but relaxing place. These kitchen hacks are very clever, but refreshingly simple too, so you can employ them today and marvel at their usefulness. BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
Thermapen
Tips you need
Know your avocados
All hail the avocado; one of the world’ s most glorious, versatile foods, yet one where optimum ripeness is tricky to guess at best. Until now. Next time you’ re choosing an avocado, pop out the stem – if the colour you uncover is light green, it’ s underripe; if it’ s brown, it’ s past it’ s best; if it’ s a darker shade of yellowy-green, it’ s spot on.
Wave goodbye to brown guacamole
You’ ve sourced the perfect avocado, you’ ve bought a mountain of tortilla chips and you’ ve made a heavenly guacamole … but it’ s gone brown. One of life’ s biggest mysteries until now, the secret to retaining your guacamole’ s fresh green colour is to stop it from oxygenating, which you can easily do with water. Simply pour just enough water on top of your dip to cover it, and then cover the container over with cling film. When you ' re ready to eat it, carefully pour off the water, et voila, fresh green guac.
Freeze leftover liquids
Psychologists say it takes approximately 21 days to form a new habit and one well worth forming is to freeze leftover liquids. Sounds obvious, but not many of us do it. Food companies insist on selling broths, soups and stocks in enormous quantities, but instead of letting a portion slowly go to waste in your fridge, try freezing what you’ ve got leftover in an ice cube tray and then storing the cubes in an airtight container to be reheated another day. There isn’ t actually much you can’ t freeze; the ends of onions, stems and carrot tops make a great base for flavouring soups and stocks, and apparently you can freeze leftover wine too, whatever that is.
Scoop out seeds with ease
Tired of getting repetitive strain every time you try and scoop out the seeds from squash( and let’ s not even mention the cramp-inducing marathon that is deseeding a pumpkin)? Three words: ice cream scoop. The edge of an ice cream scoop is sharp, so it cuts through all the fibre and gooey stuff with far greater ease than your hand or a regular spoon can.
Soak up excess fat
Skim a few ice cubes wrapped in a piece of kitchen towel across the surface of any stocks, soups or stews that have developed an unsightly top layer of fat and it’ ll help solidify the fat into more manageable chunks making it easier to remove with a spoon or, surprisingly, a piece of toast, which, when rested on the top soaks it all up in one slice. A bonus bread tip for you: when cutting onions, fold a piece of bread in half and hold it in your mouth; it’ ll absorb irritant gas before it reaches your eyes.
Mess-free measuring
Cooking anything with syrup or honey is guaranteed to leave you, your spoons and your kitchen surfaces in a sticky mess … but, dab your spoon or measuring cup lightly with cooking oil before you scoop up any sticky ingredient and the oil will ensure it slides right off in one neat blob.
No more rusty woks
Scrubbing your iron wok with soapy water is a no-no; it’ ll strip away the base seasoning leading to rust, which can leave food then cooked in it with an odd metallic taste. The answer? Clean it with a paste made from coarse salt and water to remove stuck-on bits of food. For best results, rinse afterwards with boiling water, dry, and then rub with a light coating of vegetable oil.
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