1. Keep champagne or sparkling wine fizzy with a single raisin
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Have guests over but the champagne has somehow lost much of its fizziness? Revive it by dropping a single raisin in the bottle or glass and watch as it starts to bubble and become effervescent again! Also works with sparkling wine and prosecco.
Photo: Pinterest
2. A quick way to soften butter
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3. Pick up egg shell fragments with a wet finger
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4. Cooking spray prevents cheese from sticking to the grater
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Nobody loves spending time getting cheese out of a the grater, so this hack will make things so much easier. Simply spray cooking spray on the grater and the cheese won’t stick!
Photo: Just A Pinch/Pinterest
5. Cut avocado lasts longer when you store it with onion
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Sometimes, you only need half an avocado for your avocado toast. To prevent the other half from browning, store it in an airtight container with a piece of onion. It should stay green for at least a few days. Also works with guacamole!
Photo: The Kitchn
6. Soften hardened brown sugar
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If brown sugar goes hard, place a piece of fresh bread in the container and the next day the sugar will be moist again.
Photo: Pixabay
7. Butter up the pan when cooking potatoes
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Rub some butter around the rim of the saucepan when cooking potatoes – the spuds won’t boil over.
Photo: Pixabay
8. Slice brownies easily
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To prevent brownies from sticking to the knife when cutting them into squares, simply use a disposable plastic knife rather than a metal one.
Photo: Pixabay
9. Add some zing to your marinades
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When marinating meats, throw in a bit of pineapple juice or cut pineapples to give it a slightly sweet flavour. The pineapple also helps to make the meats more tender.
Photo: Pixabay
10. Peel a garlic clove in seconds
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This is especially for those who hate the lingering smell of garlic in your fingers from peeling and chopping. Place the clove (or cloves) in a glass container/jar, put the lid on and shake vigorously for a few seconds. The outer skin should come right off!
Photo: Thrifty Fun/Pinterest
Photo: Pixabay
11. Wrap celery in aluminium foil
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This keeps them fresher for a longer time, so you won’t have to throw them away! This trick also works for broccoli and asparagus.
Photos: Pixabay
12. Peel hardboiled eggs easily
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Add 2-3 teaspoons of baking soda to the water in the pan before boiling the eggs. The soda will seep between the egg and the shell, which should peel right off easily.
Photo: Pixabay
13. Make a piping bag
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When baking macarons and icing cakes, you’ll need a piping bag. If you don’t have one or can’t get it in time, use a large ziplock bag and push icing down to one end. Snip off one end and you’ll have a nozzle!
Photo: Stocksnap
14. Remove stains with lemon juice and baking soda
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Mix these two ingredients together to remove pesky stains caused by berries, beets and ink from both your hands and clothes.
Photo: Pixabay
15. Pre-microwave onions for BBQs
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Before starting a barbecue, cook sliced onion in the microwave until soft. They will brown more quickly on the barbecue and taste extra good!
16. Replace buttermilk with a dash of vinegar + regular milk
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If you have a recipe that calls for buttermilk but you don’t have any, just add a tablespoon of white vinegar to regular milk and voila!
Photos: Pixabay and Pexels
17. Never drink diluted iced coffee again
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Freeze coffee that’s been poured into ice-cube trays and pop them into a cup of coffee.
Photo: Fab Art DIY on Pinterest
18. Overturn ice cream containers to prevent freezer burn
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Photo: Pixabay
19. Hull strawberries using a plastic straw
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20. Catch ice cream or popsicles drips with cupcake holders
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Protect your floors with this easy trick!
Photo: Lifebuzz/Pinterest
21. Get perfectly hard-boiled eggs by poking a thumbtack through first
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This relieves the pressure that builds up when the egg is boiling.
Photo: Nom Nom Paleo/Pinterest
22. Cook pasta in 1 minute
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Soak pasta in water one hour before mealtime, then boil for 60 seconds. Your pasta’s ready to be eaten!
23. Make potato wedges with an apple slicer
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24. Slice lots of cherry tomatoes like this
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Here’s a quick way to slice all your cherry tomatoes: place them in-between two tupperware lids and slide a knife through.
Photo: Amanda Kennedy/Pinterest
25. Wrap banana crowns with plastic wrap
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This trick keeps them from ripening too quickly, especially in our humid climate.
Photo: Bargain Hound/Pinterest
Text: Bauer / Additional Reporting: Elizabeth Liew
