Easy Kitchen Tips

 To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature & roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

Defrost without the Microwave

 Place your meat on an aluminum sheet tray or skillet to defrost it faster. Aluminum conducts heat very well and will draw energy from the surrounding environment into your frozen meat much faster than a wooden cutting board or wood or stone countertop. You can cut defrosting times down by about 30 percent this way.

Slicing Meat for Stir Fry

 Slicing meat to grind or cook in a stir-fry can be tricky even with a sharp knife. To make it easier, place the meat in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to stiffen it up before cutting.

Freezer Storage

 Another freezer secret: freeze things flat and stack them. Soups, stews, or ground meat– the flatter and wider you can get them, the faster they’ll freeze and defrost, which not only makes you more efficient, it also improves the quality of the food (the longer something takes to freeze, the more cellular damage it will suffer).

Quick Pastry Dough

 Grate frozen butter straight into pastry dough for fast, even distribution.This works well for pie, biscuits, and anything else where you want to incorporate butter quickly while it’s still cold.

Keep Herbs Fresh Longer

 You can extend the lifespan of washed herbs and greens by rolling them up in damp paper towels and placing them in zipper-lock bags with the seals left slightly open. At the first hint of decay, you’ll see darker spots of liquid forming on the paper towels; this is a good sign to use up your herbs and greens within a day or two.

Get a Grip on Opening Jars

 Trouble opening jars? Try using latex dishwashing gloves. Their non-slip grip can help make opening jars easy.