Kitchen Tips Series: Vegetables

Every trade that has survived the test of time and have been handed down from various generation has its own form of “trade secrets”. Food is one of the most basic need of man and hence the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house (of course the other room(s) is/are too!

On a lighter note, the more tips and hacks one knows, the more you can work around difficult situations and even turn them around for your good. We’re sharing some of our tested and tried tips centered around vegetables, more to come in the coming months. Enjoy! 

Onions
To avoid crying a river when slicing and chopping onions, hold a slice of bread to your mouth. It would absorb the substance (Syn-propanethial-S-oxide) that causes the eye to produce tears. 

Garlic
Removing the skin of garlic can be so touch as they are tightly laden on the fleshy part. Try this trick: Separate the cloves individually, place in a bowl, cover with the exact same type of bowl, hold each bowl in each hand like you would a clapper and shake vigorously, voila! Most of the skin would have peeled off and the remaining ones would be hanging around loosely.

Large Peppers
You can remove the seed out of large peppers by making this incision and there you have it, all the seeds out in one cut.

Sweet Potatoes
Peeling sweet potatoes is another not-so-sought-after kitchen task. If the your plan is to boil the potatoes, you can wash them and boil with the skin, once boiled, all that outer covering come off so effortlessly.

Irish Potatoes
To make the crispest fries, boil the potatoes just barely cooked then place in a plastic bag and refrigerate instantly. Take out from the freezer when it's properly chilled and almost freezing and fry. Enjoy!

Vegetables can also be used to ameliorate kitchen mishaps.  For example, if you've added too much salt in a meal you're cooking, peel the skin off a medium-sized potato,  wash and place in the pot, it would absorb excess salt. To keep potatoes from budding in the bag, put an apple in with them.

Before you chop fresh red peppers, rub a little bit of vegetable oil into your hands and your skin won’t absorb the spiciness. You could also hold the pepper in place on the chopping board using a fork.

Also, you can chop vegetables effortlessly using a very good chopper. You should invest in one.