Weird & wonderful food 'hacks' you do but don't know why

[JenIsAGem]

I'll start with one thing I always do is wrap my jacket potato in damp/wet kitchen roll before putting it in the microwave I don't know where I learnt this, and know it works fine without doing it but I can't do it any other way now.

Not mine, but I remember reading an article where the author had always cut a chunk of her joint off before roasting it. Because her mum did. Eventually, she asked her mum why and it turned out they had a really small oven but a big family and so her mum had to cut the joint to fit it in the oven! 30 odd years later, her daughter had just accepted it as standard.

@ JenIsAGem I do something similar with aubergine. It steams as it cooks and doesn’t soak up so much oil in frying.

Also for years my mum cut the stem end of the cucumber, less than an inch then rub the two cut ends together. The bitter foam would be drawn out. I still do it sometimes but I think the bitter taste has been bred out of them now. And depends how fresh it is. She told me it would stop you belching after you had eaten it but again I don’t think modern cucumbers have that effect today.

Peeling potatoes in cold water! Only stopped this a couple of years ago. My hands uses to turn blue . Makes no sense but mother and man did it

@cockneygirl I do that with courgettes as I heard it can take the bitterness out, but I’ve only just started doing it.

I peel the skin off mushrooms, because my mum did, was very surprised to find that most people rub them.

I only gave up salting aubergines a few years ago (the bitterness has long been bread out so you don’t need to anymore) also still to peel potatoes in water, maybe people did it because they were muddier? I use warm water though. I think the damp baked potato thing is to get salt to stick? - I use a bit of oil

..bred out!

IEAt I’d always done that too unthinkingly until about a year ago - as cold as possible. Then one time just didn’t - what a relief. Still rinse them in cold after peeling.
I do rinse my coffee filter paper with hot water before putting coffee in drip cone. This is contentious - lots of research each way about taste of filters affecting coffee. My own research found filters do taste stronger if I don’t rinse.
Have a friend who wraps hard cheeses in foil - only ever foil - this puts my teeth on edge and have never done it. Use cling or cheese paper.

A give a can of fizzy drink a good tap with my nail before opening...I always thought this saved it from exploding everywhere my taking down the fizz but DH says what a load of rubbish...I’ll never stop doing it though 😂

I still peel mushrooms but I think it's likely cos of my ocd

When I used to peel potatoes did it over a sieve/colander as my mum does as it "catches" the peel as you go and saves you having to chase it around the sink to get it out. You can just tip straight in bin or into composter. She's very green fingered and I think it was more so she didn't lose out on the wee bits for composting

I tap soda cans too.

Shake sauce bottles (ketchup etc" before opening/using which is probably unnecessary with squeeze/upside down bottles now

@IEat

Peeling potatoes in cold water! Only stopped this a couple of years ago. My hands uses to turn blue . Makes no sense but mother and man did it

I don't do this because I'm too lazy but still 'know' it's the right way to do it! Why on earth is that, does anyone know? I don't peel or rub mushrooms, just flick of the large chunk and make sure whatever I'm using them in has lots of black pepper to disguise any mud.

I can't picture what "peeling mushrooms" even looks like...

I adore mushrooms. I eat them raw, straight from the punnet. I don't do anything to them.

Slice of bread under chicken kievs on the baking tray = garlic bread as an extra and no oily lesson the tray.

Mess

Cheese sauce - melt grated cheese into gently simmering cream in a pan. No faffing with making a roux, and suitable for people with gluten intolerance!

You are meant to leave a can for a minute or so before opening. A tap helps too, the bubbles come all to the top so any fizz will be at the top, not coming from all the sides (so less likely to fizz everywhere). It's science not urban legend.

I put a piece of kitchen roll into the bagged salad or spinach to keep it dry/fresh. It does seem to help. Not sure why though.

@AubergineDream

I put a piece of kitchen roll into the bagged salad or spinach to keep it dry/fresh. It does seem to help. Not sure why though.

I do this too!

@Bluewavescrashing

Slice of bread under chicken kievs on the baking tray = garlic bread as an extra and no oily lesson the tray.

Yes I do this too! 😋

I think that peeling potatoes in water was because they used to be sold caked in mud, and these days they are really clean?

@Bluewavescrashing

Slice of bread under chicken kievs on the baking tray = garlic bread as an extra and no oily lesson the tray.

Genius!!!!