Kitchen Corner: Teeny-Tiny Hacks to Make Your Kitchen Happy

Ever spend forever scraping the dried-up dregs of almond butter from the bottom of the jar? Try to unpeel a banana and end up with a hand full of mush? Avoid adding onions to recipes just to avoid the teary deluge?

This teeny tricks are about to change your culinary world. (Not your actual world; we’re not miracle workers here.)

Nut butters

These guys are a firm favourite here at alive, but we all know that they’re not cheap. So it makes it all the more heartbreaking when we have to discard the last dried-out remnants at the bottom of the jar.

Fix: Store nut butters upside down. This will distribute the oils throughout the jar, keeping the butter oozy and delicious to the last drop.

Insider tip: After each use, flip the jar so that the oil can drift the other way.

Too late for this jar? Don’t despair. Why not eat your morning oatmeal out of the jar? The nut butter will melt with the heat of your oatmeal and give your morning an extra protein boost. Winner!

Bananas

Get ready, because we’re about to turn another myth on its head. Banana injuries resulting in inedible mush, no more!

Fix: You guessed it, flip it! Peeling a banana from the bottom couldn’t be easier. Give a little squeeze at the very end and peel away. You’ll also be party to a nifty stem handle.

Ginger

Everyone starts with the best intentions for fresh ginger but undoubtedly is left with something resembling a shrivelled thumb in their crisper.

Fix: Start a new ritual! Peel, grate, and freeze fresh ginger. You can toss it straight into recipes from the freezer, cutting down on your prep time (and your kitchen waste).

Insider tip: In my own kitchen, full unpeeled (washed!) stems of ginger live in the freezer and are grated straight into dishes, skin and all! So far, there’ve been no complaints.

Onions

Let’s be honest. Onions are a total nightmare. Cooking up a nice dinner sounds lovely until your mascara is dripping off the end of your nose.

Fix: If you are cooking the onions, chuck them in the freezer for a few minutes first. Other tips involve a quick 30-second ice or boiling water bath. This will help prevent the sulphuric acid (tear-jerking nastiness) from releasing and making you cry.

Another tip is to chop the onion while holding a slice of bread in your mouth. The bread should absorb the gases before they reach your eyes, although your housemates may still think that you have lost it. This method will keep the texture of the onion the same, so if you are planning to use them raw—this is the trick for you!

Insider tip: Ski goggles also work a treat.

Do you have any awesome kitchen tricks you can’t live without? Share them with us @aliveHealth #aliveathome