10 Things you should know to perfect your cooking techniques and avoid waste

Although eating at home is generally cheaper than eating out, sometimes, because we don’t know or find viable solutions, we end up wasting food. Fortunately, there are a number of techniques employed by professional chefs that can also be applied in our daily lives, and with the right amount of patience, creativity and extra time, you can certainly become a lot more efficient in the kitchen too.

We, from awesome.club, we share 10 attitudes you can take to improve your cooking techniques and avoid waste at home. Because let’s face it, we’re always trying to save time and money any way we can, right?

Tomatoes spoil quickly if not stored properly, and although many people find that they keep better in the refrigerator, there is another way to keep them “fresh” longer: leaving the tomatoes at room temperature for 2 to 3 days to preserve texture and flavor, in a basket or in a salad bowl.

Preferably, leave the stalk to prevent air from seeping into the heart of the tomato. As most of the tomatoes that we find on the market are already without it, place it upside down (the part where the peduncle was at the bottom), thus reducing contact with the air.

If you are that person that every time you use plastic wrap you have to look for the sticky end, know that if you put the roll inside the fridge it will be much easier to remove it, without getting stuck.

Due to the low temperature, the paper becomes humid and this prevents it from bunching, improving handling. If for some reason it has been out of the fridge for a long time, place it in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes and then use it.

Herbs like basil, parsley and the like are great for transforming the flavor of our everyday food, but keeping them fresh can be a challenge as they spoil easily. A good tip is to freeze these spices to make them last for up to 6 months with color, flavor and natural oils preserved.

The most common option is to chop the fresh spices and pack them in ice cube trays. Then add olive oil until complete and take it to the freezer. The seasoning comes out of the freezer straight into the pan, you don’t even need to defrost.

As eggs can lose density over time, a good way to confirm whether they are good for consumption or not is by testing the water. In this test, the egg is immersed in a glass or vessel filled with water. If he’s good, he’ll sink horizontally. If it is not fresh but still fit for consumption, it will be slightly slanted. If it floats, it’s old and possibly spoiled.

Whether wooden or plastic, it is important that your board does not slip when cutting food, which can sometimes happen. To do this, place a dish towel or paper towel, sprinkle with water and place it under the cutting board to prevent it from slipping or bouncing.

You know how a piece of eggshell ends up falling in the middle of the white when the egg is cracked? There are many people who choose to use the spoon to remove the peel. But there is another more efficient and faster method.

As strange as it may seem, the easiest way to remove it is using a larger piece of eggshell. Just use half of a cracked shell as a ladle to catch the smaller, unwanted pieces like a real magnet.

Add the berries to a bowl and add one cup of vinegar, three cups of cold water, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Afterwards, rinse well, dry and place them in a container lined with paper towels, cover and store. The technique can guarantee perfect fresh fruit for up to two weeks.

When the garlic is already peeled it is better to use it immediately, but this is not always possible and sometimes we end up with some leftovers. In that case, the best way to keep the extra cloves fresh and crispy is to place them in a container filled with water, cover them, and refrigerate. Remember that for the technique to work the teeth must be used within two weeks.

This is a good tip for people who like to prepare meals for the rest of the week and use sliced ​​apples or pears in their dishes. One way to keep them from turning brown for up to 5 days is to place the slices in a bowl of cold water and a teaspoon or two of salt. Let it soak for 5 minutes. Rinse, store in a container with a lid and refrigerate. 🇧🇷

In this tip, the focus is on optimizing your time in the kitchen. When doing something like chopping vegetables, dump your leftovers or other bits of garbage into a bowl. It seems simple and obvious, but at the time of the rush, many don’t remember to do this.

This is a solid time-saving kitchen hack because it minimizes multiple trips to the trash can (or even if the trash is right next to you in a cupboard, you’ll still have to open and close it every time).

And so, from now on, do you intend to use some of the methods mentioned in the article? Know another out-of-the-box secret you’d like to share with us? Tell us in the comments!