The Gourmet Mama

Onions are notorious for being a pain to cut . . . literally. The fumes can make your eyes tear up and really irritate the mucus membranes. But you don´t have to cry your eyes out just because you need onions for dinner . . . there´s a solution! In fact, there are solutions to many of the common, unpleasant tasks in the kitchen and this post will cover a few of them.

Onions: To stop the tears, try peeling and cutting the onions underwater. This can be in a bowl or in a sink of cool water. The liquid stops those irritating fumes from reaching your face. Another option is to put the onions in the freezer for twenty minutes or so before cutting them, to reduce the effect.

Garlic: Annoyed with those itty bitty chunks of garlic sticking to your blade? Then sprinkle a bit of salt over the garlic before chopping and it won´t stick as much . . . or you could try rubbing a bit of oil on the knife before chopping.

Eggshells: When you are cracking eggs into a pan or bowl and suddenly realize that there is a little bit of shell in there, don´t reach for a spoon or try to dip it out with a finger. These techniques seldom work, but what DOES work is the actual shell. Use the large chunk of shell in your hand to lift the intruder out and you´ll have no problems.

Odors: Depending on the odor, you have a few options. That horrid onion smell that sticks to your fingers can be removed by washing with a piece of lime or lemon, or by rubbing your hands with stainless steel under running water. Fridge odors are often beaten by setting a small open container of baking soda in the fridge after a thorough washing.

Baked Goods: Having problems with your cakes and breads sticking to the pan, even when you grease it well? Here´s a quick and easy solution . . . tinfoil. Rip off a piece, press it into the pan, grease as normal and pour your batter in. It will flip out easily and can be peeled off whatever you baked.

Do you have any tips and tricks of your own to make kitchen tasks easier? Share in the comments!