24 brilliant kitchen shortcuts you’ll wish you knew sooner

24 brilliant kitchen shortcuts you’ll wish you knew sooner
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Save time prepping food and make cooking easier with these cooking hacks that are pure genius.

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Use an empty water bottle to separate egg whites and yolks

Use an empty water bottle to separate egg whites and yolks
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Crack an egg into a shallow bowl, then hold the mouth of the bottle near the yolk and gently squeeze. When you release the squeeze, the yolk will be sucked out, and you can deposit it into another bowl. Here are 10 ‘facts’ about eggs that are an absolute yolk.

Cut corn with a Bundt pan

Cut corn with a Bundt pan
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To remove corn from the cob quickly, stand the cob upright in the centre of a Bundt pan. Holding the top of the cob steady, stroke a chef’s knife downward along the sides to remove kernels. Scrape the cob with the back of the knife to release juices. Kernels and juice collect in the Bundt pan – meaning one less mess for you to clean up.

Skip the pasta rinse

Skip the pasta rinse
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Rinsing noodles washes away and natural starch, which helps yummy sauce stick. It’s why some recipes suggest saving pasta water to use in sauce. Instead, skip the wash and spread drained pasta on a pan to cool. Better yet, try this cooking hack that makes draining pasta even easier.

Don’t cry over a broken cake…

Don’t cry over a broken cake…
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Instead, make a trifle by layering salvaged cake pieces with fresh whipped cream and fruit in a pretty glass bowl, advises Tamar Adler, chef and author of An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace. Plus, don’t miss this genius frosting hack that will change the way you bake. Find out how to make a better cake here.

Keep counters clean with a baking sheet

Keep counters clean with a baking sheet
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Place all ingredients on an empty baking sheet prior to prepping them. (This will help you catch spills and avoid wasting time hunting for an item as you cook.)

Pizza wheels chop herbs

Pizza wheels chop herbs
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Turn in the chopping knife: Instead, roll over herbs like parsley and cilantro with a pizza wheel for quick and safe slicing. A pizza wheel also effortlessly chops foods like pancakes and pasta for small children. Head here to find out how to freeze herbs.

Use a countertop bowl for easy garbage

Use a countertop bowl for easy garbage

As you cook, toss scraps, eggshells, and other garbage into a large bowl. This will contain messes and save time if a garbage bin isn’t readily accessible. Meanwhile, these are the foods you should be digging out of your garbage bin right now.

For easier hard-boiled eggs, salt is your BFF

For easier hard-boiled eggs, salt is your BFF
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Want the shells of hard-boiled eggs to come off in big chunks instead of a million tiny pieces? Add a teaspoon of salt to the cooking water before putting in the eggs. Follow this advice to achieve the perfect boiled egg.

Clean a blender sans sponge

Clean a blender sans sponge
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Fill it one-third full with warm water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid, recommends Woman’s Day. Run it for ten seconds. Rinse and dry. Head here for more great kitchen and dining room cleaning hacks.

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