Some kitchen tips and tricks

So you've started beefing up your cooking skills, but the process is still a little tedious. 

Here are some kitchen techniques that will save you a bunch of time

Trick to peeling ginger

If you've ever tried to peel ginger with a vegetable peeler, or to remove the skin with a knife, 
you know it feels like you're removing almost as much of the flesh as the skin! Here's the thing: 
The best way to peel ginger isn't with a peeler at all, but with a spoon. Try it!

Egg Freshness Test

eggs seemed to be 4-6 days old good enough! You’re probably wondering how this works, and yes, there is some science behind it. 
Eggshells are porous, allowing air to slowly get in over time. 
As more air enters the egg, it gets lighter and lighter, which explains why it will eventually float.

Don’t overcrowd the pan

You might think you have enough room in your skillet for an extra piece of chicken, but if it’s questionable, don’t risk it. 
There’s a chance the heat won’t distribute properly to the rest of the food in the pan, thus affecting flavor or, worse, creating a health risk. 
As a preventative measure, leave a few inches between each item to ensure they cook thoroughly.

Peel a Head of Garlic in Seconds with Bowls

If you have a particularly garlic-heavy recipe to make (so brave!), don't waste time peeling each head by hand. 
Just crush your garlic as normal and throw it all into a big salad bowl. Then, with another big salad bowl, 
shake the garlic up for a few seconds, and you should find it's fully peeled and ready for cooking. 
Just remember to neutralize that garlic breath after the meal with a glass of milk.

Preventing a pot from overflowing

This is a trick from my grandma and I’ll always be grateful for it because 
it has saved me many hours of cleaning the stove to get rid of large pools of milk.

Just lay a wooden spoon across your pot of boiling water or milk and it will never overflow.

Store Ice Cream In A Bag

A plastic freezer bag keeps the cold air from making your ice cream rock hard. 
If you like straight spoons and soft ice cream, this trick is worth the extra step! 
Try to push out as much air out of the bag as you can before putting it in the freezer.

Paper towels

It never fails.  Every time we buy one of those clamshells of spinach/spring mix/lettuce, we always end up throwing half of it out.  
One thing that seems to add a few days to the fridge life is to add a few paper towels to the top and bottom of the packaging.  
The paper towels help to wick away excess moisture and keep it from spoiling so quickly.  
We also really prefer the clamshell packaging over the bags it seems to last longer that way for us.