23 Food Hacks That Will Change Your Entire Life

OK, you know how to make quesadillas in your waffle iron and your four-ingredient lemon cookies killed at your last dinner party.

Now it’s time to up your game.

Here are 23 food hacks that will make you a ninja-level cook.

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Reading My Tea Leaves

1/23

MAKE LEMONADE IN A BLENDER

Cut a lemon into quarters and stick them in a blender with 2 cups of water, a handful of ice cubes and a few tablespoons of sugar. Voila, instant deliciousness.

_{Source: Reading My Tea Leaves}

Twenty20

2/23

RIPEN AN AVOCADO IN 10 MINUTES

Wrap the avocado in tinfoil and stick it in a 200°F oven until it softens, then put it in the fridge to cool.

Pinch My Salt

3/23

KEEP YOUR GREENS CRUNCHY

Wash lettuce and then lay it on a paper towel. Roll it all up and stick it in a sealed plastic bag before storing it in the fridge. See ya, wilted greens.

_{Source: Pinch My Salt}

Pexels

4/23

PEEL HARD-BOILED EGGS MORE EASILY

Add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water, cook as usual and then let the eggs cool. When you peel them, the shells will slide right off. (Yesss, that just saved us ten minutes.)

Twenty20

5/23

COOK PASTA IN 60 SECONDS

Plan ahead: Soak your pasta in a bowl of water for an hour before dinner. When it’s time to eat, drop the pasta into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds and it’s ready to go.

Twenty20

6/23

KEEP AN APPLE FROM GETTING BROWN

Nope, not the lemon juice trick. Instead, slice an apple and keep the core. Reassemble the pieces around the core so that the apple looks whole again and then wrap a rubber band around it to keep the slices in place.

Williams-Sonoma

7/23

MINCE GARLIC FASTER

Instead of wasting time peeling the clove, put the entire thing in your garlic press and give it a squeeze. Minced garlic will come out, but the skin will stay tucked inside the press.

Rurally Screwed

8/23

KEEP HARD-BOILED EGG SHELLS FROM CRACKING

Before you put your eggs into a pot of cold water, brush the shells with lemon juice. The acidity will help keep the shells intact as the water heats up.

Home Hacks

9/23

GET MORE JUICE OUT OF YOUR LEMONS

Speaking of lemons, get more juice for your money by popping them in the microwave for 15 seconds before you squeeze them.

_{Source: Home Hacks}

Seventh House on the Left

10/23

KEEP BROWN SUGAR FROM CLUMPING

Easy--just stick a few marshmallows in your brown sugar canister to keep it moist.

_{Source: Seventh House on the Left}

Chowhound

11/23

MAKE BROWN RICE TASTE BETTER

Cook the rice as usual, then pat it dry with a paper towel. Heat a skillet and add a few tablespoons of olive oil or ghee and the herbs of your choice. Sauté the rice in the skillet until golden.

Wikihow

12/23

MAKE PERFECTLY ROUND PANCAKES

Clean out an old ketchup bottle, fill it with pancake batter and then carefully squeeze the batter onto a hot frying pan.

_{Source: Wikihow}

Handimania

13/23

SEPARATE EGG YOLKS WITH NO HANDS

Crack the egg onto a plate, then position the mouth of an empty water bottle over the yolk. Squeeze the water bottle slightly, then lower it over the yolk as you un-squeeze to suck the yolk off the plate and into the bottle. It’s egg-white omelet time.

_{Source: Handimania}

Food52

14/23

KEEP AN AVOCADO FROM BROWNING

Store a cut avocado in an airtight container with a few onion slices. The sulfur compounds of the onion will oxidize on the green surface, keeping it from browning.

_{Source: Food52}

Twenty20

15/23

MAKE BETTER COFFEE

Always use cold water, not hot, to brew your coffee. The hot water sits in the tank until you’re ready to use it, while cold water is less likely to collect mineral deposits. Mmm, breakfast blend…

FoodieSuz

16/23

SLICE SOFT CHEESE WITHOUT A KNIFE

Use a piece of dental floss to cut through soft cheese with ease. Best of all, there are no dishes to wash.

_{Source: FoodieSuz}

Fit Foodie Finds

17/23

POACH A DOZEN EGGS AT ONCE

Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, then add a tablespoon of water to each cup. Crack an egg into each compartment, then bake for 13 minutes at 350°F. Brunch for six, coming right up.

_{Source: Fit Foodie Finds}

Andrea Romano/Mashable

18/23

STOP PASTA WATER FROM BOILING OVER

Place a wooden spoon over the pot when it comes to a boil. The spoon creates an obstacle for the bubbles, making them pop before they’re able to boil over.

_{Source: Mashable}

Twenty20

19/23

RE-CORK A BOTTLE OF WINE

Wrap the cork in wax paper after you remove it from the wine bottle. Yay, now it will slide in and out of the bottle with ease.

The Kitchn

20/23

SOFTEN FROZEN BUTTER FASTER

Use a grater to shred it like cheese and it’s instantly ready to go into your awesome chocolate chip cookies.

_{Source: The Kitchn}

Bakepedia

21/23

PERFECTLY CRIMP A PIE CRUST

Use a string of pearls to add a quick, even crimp to pies before you pop 'em into the oven.

_{Source: Bakepedia}

Twenty20

22/23

KEEP COOKIES FRESH FOR DAYS

Stick those macadamia-chocolate-chunks in a ziploc bag with a slice of bread to keep them moist.

Bangers and Mash

23/23

MAKE PRETTIER ICE CUBES

Boil filtered or bottled water on the stove to remove air bubbles, then let it cool and boil it again. Let the water cool down again, then pour it into ice-cube trays and cover them with plastic wrap to keep any particles from getting in. Bam, restaurant-level cubes.

23 Food Hacks That Will Change Your Entire Life

Or at least the way you eat and cook

MAKE LEMONADE IN A BLENDER

RIPEN AN AVOCADO IN 10 MINUTES

KEEP YOUR GREENS CRUNCHY

PEEL HARD-BOILED EGGS MORE EASILY

COOK PASTA IN 60 SECONDS

KEEP AN APPLE FROM GETTING BROWN

MINCE GARLIC FASTER

KEEP HARD-BOILED EGG SHELLS FROM CRACKING

GET MORE JUICE OUT OF YOUR LEMONS

KEEP BROWN SUGAR FROM CLUMPING

MAKE BROWN RICE TASTE BETTER

MAKE PERFECTLY ROUND PANCAKES

SEPARATE EGG YOLKS WITH NO HANDS

KEEP AN AVOCADO FROM BROWNING

MAKE BETTER COFFEE

SLICE SOFT CHEESE WITHOUT A KNIFE

POACH A DOZEN EGGS AT ONCE

STOP PASTA WATER FROM BOILING OVER

RE-CORK A BOTTLE OF WINE

SOFTEN FROZEN BUTTER FASTER

PERFECTLY CRIMP A PIE CRUST

KEEP COOKIES FRESH FOR DAYS

MAKE PRETTIER ICE CUBES

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23 Food Hacks That Will Change Your Entire Life

Or at least the way you eat and cook

MAKE LEMONADE IN A BLENDER

RIPEN AN AVOCADO IN 10 MINUTES

KEEP YOUR GREENS CRUNCHY

PEEL HARD-BOILED EGGS MORE EASILY

COOK PASTA IN 60 SECONDS

KEEP AN APPLE FROM GETTING BROWN

MINCE GARLIC FASTER

KEEP HARD-BOILED EGG SHELLS FROM CRACKING

GET MORE JUICE OUT OF YOUR LEMONS

KEEP BROWN SUGAR FROM CLUMPING

MAKE BROWN RICE TASTE BETTER

MAKE PERFECTLY ROUND PANCAKES

SEPARATE EGG YOLKS WITH NO HANDS

KEEP AN AVOCADO FROM BROWNING

MAKE BETTER COFFEE

SLICE SOFT CHEESE WITHOUT A KNIFE

POACH A DOZEN EGGS AT ONCE

STOP PASTA WATER FROM BOILING OVER

RE-CORK A BOTTLE OF WINE

SOFTEN FROZEN BUTTER FASTER

PERFECTLY CRIMP A PIE CRUST

KEEP COOKIES FRESH FOR DAYS

MAKE PRETTIER ICE CUBES

More Stories You’ll Love

More Stories From our Partners