Cooking secrets you wished you'd known about sooner.

[bellaozzydog]

It's recently come to my attention that I cut peppers different to pretty much most of the population, using neither of the above methods.

I stick a knife in at the top by the edge of the green stem, and cut around the stem. Then make a vertical cut down one side of the pepper and up the other side.
Pull one side off the stem, then the other.
All the seeds stay on the core bit of it, there's virtually no wastage, and you've got 2 equal shaped pepper halves which are good for stuffing if you want a big surface area for cheese.

Our posts must have flown passed each other you describe the process better

 

[Artaxerxes]

It's recently come to my attention that I cut peppers different to pretty much most of the population, using neither of the above methods.

I stick a knife in at the top by the edge of the green stem, and cut around the stem. Then make a vertical cut down one side of the pepper and up the other side.
Pull one side off the stem, then the other.
All the seeds stay on the core bit of it, there's virtually no wastage, and you've got 2 equal shaped pepper halves which are good for stuffing if you want a big surface area for cheese.

Same

 

[iona]

It's recently come to my attention that I cut peppers different to pretty much most of the population, using neither of the above methods.

I stick a knife in at the top by the edge of the green stem, and cut around the stem. Then make a vertical cut down one side of the pepper and up the other side.
Pull one side off the stem, then the other.
All the seeds stay on the core bit of it, there's virtually no wastage, and you've got 2 equal shaped pepper halves which are good for stuffing if you want a big surface area for cheese.

Yeah I do basically this but without the initial cut around the stem, and usually I'll cut the pepper into three or four segments rather than halves unless I want halves for e.g. stuffing.

 

[cesare]

I have a really cold kitchen and so proofing bread is difficult. If you put 100mls of water on full power in the microwave for 2 minutes, it creates a nice warm place to proof your dough.

That's a good one!

 

[Saffy]

That's a good one!

My kitchen is so cold, even in summer! I normally put it outside to proof in the summer.

 

[Maggot]

Fresh herbs and chillies can be frozen and taken out when needed. I also freeze root ginger, but cut it into usable chunks first.

 

[Private Storm]

I went to a wildlife park the other day. A ring-tailed lemur was eating a raw potato. Just think of the preparation time saved, let alone the electric.

Similar to this, I no longer waste time peeling potatoes or carrots, just scrub the muck off and gouge out the eyes. Must have regained many, many minutes back into my life by doing this, plus I don't end up throwing heaps of peelings in the food bin (which, thinking about it, is less food waste, cool).

With regards topping and tailing fine/French beans, yeah, why do we chop off both ends?? Really great point and I'm can't believe I've just automatically done it FOR YEARS. Probably Delia Smith's fault.

 

[cesare]

My kitchen is so cold, even in summer! I normally put it outside to proof in the summer.

Ours is the same! I love your solution!

 

[cesare]

All of the courgette is edible too, no need to.chop.off the end/s

 

[Saffy]

Fresh herbs and chillies can be frozen and taken out when needed. I also freeze root ginger, but cut it into usable chunks first.

I do this with ginger too. When I need it, I grate it on a microplane grater while it's still frozen.

Also uncut lemons kept in a jar of water in the fridge keep for ages. I normally buy a net of them and they end up going all dry and shriveled up in the fruit bowl.
I learned this not so long ago from Nancy Birtwhistle's Instagram page.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Don't absentmindedly leave two expensive frozen pizzas in the porch overnight. This just in.

 

[Epona]

I do this with ginger too. When I need it, I grate it on a microplane grater while it's still frozen.

Also uncut lemons kept in a jar of water in the fridge keep for ages. I normally buy a net of them and they end up going all dry and shriveled up in the fruit bowl.
I learned this not so long ago from Nancy Birtwhistle's Instagram page.

I freeze citrus fruits whole, then defrost them either in a mug of cold water for an hour, or in the microwave (microwaving fresh citrus fruits briefly also helps get more juice out when juicing them, another handy citrus related tip) - they freeze really well.

 

[Mumbles274]

Re: cutting peppers. Cutting vertical not only. Stops the seeds being a pain to remove but also allows easier removal of the white pithy bits which can have a bitter taste

I'm in the sharp knives camp too. Blunt knives result in more mistakes as you have to use more pressure which can result in slippage accidents and it's also slower

 

[jontz01]

Doesn't everyone do this?

95% of my cutting is done with a bread knife because I can't trust the rest of my family to be able to have an actual knife in the house. (Dispraxic not murderous)

 

[sleaterkinney]

If you can’t cut a tomato with a normal cooks knife it’s not sharp enough.

 

[Chz]

Scissors are better than knives for cutting up meat

Not if you keep your knives sharp, no. But most people have infuriatingly dull knives.

Edit to add: That was before I read the whole bit about sharp knives being obvious. Or not.

I don't have any "secrets" in the kitchen. If it's savoury and doesn't taste quite right, it needs one of:
Msg
Butter
Gochujang.

 

[DaveCinzano]

But most people have infuriatingly dull knives.

That's a bit harsh, perhaps they just have passions which don't match with your own niche interests?

 

[Epona]

Not if you keep your knives sharp, no. But most people have infuriatingly dull knives.

Edit to add: That was before I read the whole bit about sharp knives being obvious. Or not.

I don't have any "secrets" in the kitchen. If it's savoury and doesn't taste quite right, it needs one of:
Msg
Butter
Gochujang.

I prefer using scissors for meat most of the time because I am the only one that eats meat, and it keeps meat off our chopping boards and creates less washing up if the only thing involved is one pair of scissors that are solely used for meat.

 

[Chz]

I prefer using scissors for meat most of the time because I am the only one that eats meat, and it keeps meat off our chopping boards and creates less washing up if the only thing involved is one pair of scissors that are solely used for meat.

That's a pretty creative kitchen workaround, to be fair. I have a pair of special poultry shears for dismantling the Sunday roast, too. I prefer a knife or cleaver for the raw stuff, but use shears once it's cooked.

 

[Epona]

That's a pretty creative kitchen workaround, to be fair. I have a pair of special poultry shears for dismantling the Sunday roast, too. I prefer a knife or cleaver for the raw stuff, but use shears once it's cooked.

Oh another kitchen tip is that when I am using chillies in a dish, I cut them directly into the pan with scissors (the non-meat scissors!) - none of this nonsense about wearing gloves or washing your hands in lemon juice to get rid of the capsaicin oils and not touching your eyes or any sensitive areas, just don't touch the cut chilli in the first place, hold it by the stem and chop it into the pan with sharp scissors!
Kitchen scissors are the way of the future.

 

[keybored]

The correct way to use an OXO cube.

 

[Epona]

To use supermarket own brand stock cubes instead of branded ones (Newgate stock cubes from Lidl about 50p for 12).

(Not a comment on the above post, was just reminded by it!)

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Yes I am probably a cackhanded twat too

For personal safety issues I’d rather keep using blunt knives, living alone if I was to cut myself badly with a sharp knife I might bleed to death and not be found for a week. I am perhaps hypersensitive to this happening as hear about it a lot at work.

I thought you worked in an office? How many of your colleagues have died by cutting themselves in the kitchen and bleeding to death?!?!?

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

All of the courgette is edible too, no need to.chop.off the end/s

Speaking of courgettes, I spent most of my life in ignorance that a marrow is just a large courgette. For years I thought they were different vegetables.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

The correct way to use an OXO cube.

Which is...?

Don't leave us hanging, for goodness sake!

 

[nottsgirl]

I thought you worked in an office? How many of your colleagues have died by cutting themselves in the kitchen and bleeding to death?!?!?

I wondered this but not enough to ask the question.

 

[keybored]

Which is...?

Don't leave us hanging, for goodness sake!

I was peeling off the foil and crumbling the cube with my fingers all my life. Turns out you just squish the cube before unwrapping it and it turns into a little foil envelope full of stock powder. Tear off a corner and pour into whatever you're making, way less messy.

 

[Artaxerxes]

I was peeling off the foil and crumbling the cube with my fingers all my life. Turns out you just squish the cube before unwrapping it and it turns into a little foil envelope full of stock powder. Tear off a corner and pour into whatever you're making, way less messy.

Unless the cube has gone soggy via humidity

 

[Spymaster]

I was peeling off the foil and crumbling the cube with my fingers all my life. Turns out you just squish the cube before unwrapping it and it turns into a little foil envelope full of stock powder. Tear off a corner and pour into whatever you're making, way less messy.

That's not the way they did it in the adverts!

 

[Saffy]

I was peeling off the foil and crumbling the cube with my fingers all my life. Turns out you just squish the cube before unwrapping it and it turns into a little foil envelope full of stock powder. Tear off a corner and pour into whatever you're making, way less messy.

Sometimes they're like rocks. I've had to put them into a pestle and mortar or grate them before.