Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumCooking tasks that you don't appreciate
Id have to say peeling garlic cloves is one. The paper is not fun but the skins always seem to cause a lot of trouble. Also hate when a recipe calls for a fixed amount of fresh ground pepper - not easy to grind and measure....
LisaM
(27,758 posts)I don't mind peeling garlic or chopping onions. I don't love grating ginger, I guess. Or peeling squash.
Generally the cleanup is the worst.
OnDoutside
(19,905 posts)XanaDUer2
(10,327 posts)and bang down on the clove to loosen the skin from the clove. Makes it easier to remove
wendyb-NC
(3,250 posts)The paper comes right off, often in one piece.
XanaDUer2
(10,327 posts)to boil. It's hard as Hell
Ocelot II
(115,267 posts)but I hate things like shelling peas and cutting the ends off green beans.
brokephibroke
(1,883 posts)So much so that I switched to growing snap and snow only.
LakeArenal
(28,713 posts)yonder
(9,631 posts)Once.
I'm not much of a cook but dealing with those gourds was a pain in the ass - and dangerous too.
LakeArenal
(28,713 posts)sir pball
(4,726 posts)I'm not sure I can think of a worse way to spend half an afternoon.
As for garlic, once you have the cloves separated just put them in between two metal bowls, on in a big coffee can, and shake the daylights out of it. When you dump them out the paper is off.
SWBTATTReg
(21,856 posts)dump the boiled eggs in ice (after 20 minutes from start to end of boiling the eggs). It works like a charm, no more difficulty in peeling the eggs, the shells just literally fall off almost.
OnDoutside
(19,905 posts)spooky3
(34,300 posts)Last edited Sun Apr 4, 2021, 07:24 PM - Edit history (1)
A boil, and is that included in your 20 minutes? Or do you do something else?
I hate peeling boiled eggs, but love deviled eggs, so would love to learn a better technique.
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,846 posts)... I've had better results gently adding the eggs after the water is already boiling, using a large spoon with a long handle to avoid burns.
I remove from the heat and cover the pan for at least 10 minutes.
Adding the eggs while there's a roiling boil can crack the shells, so I'll usually remove the pan from heat just before adding the eggs. Oh, and leaving the eggs out of the refrigerator for awhile helps to avoid cracked shells in the hot water too.
Finally, drain and submerge in ice-water.
spooky3
(34,300 posts)SWBTATTReg
(21,856 posts)of course bring to a boil eventually during the 20 minute period...
P.S. I know that other DU comments mentioned a shorter interval, but I'm used to the 20 minute clock, I put the eggs on, and then go do other dinner/etc. prep/tasks/etc. in getting dinner/whatever started/going. It's worked out really well for me, and the best thing about, is no more trying to pry off the egg shells!
spooky3
(34,300 posts)Freddie
(9,231 posts)Use your newest bought eggs for other things and save the ones you bought 2+ weeks ago for hard boiled eggs. Plunging the newly boiled eggs immediately into a bowl of ice water helps too.
LakeArenal
(28,713 posts)Patterson
(1,525 posts)Buckeye_Democrat
(14,846 posts)... the water after it's already boiling, with a large-handled spoon to avoid burns, also helps.
Remove from the heat and cover for a minimum of 10 minutes. Then drain and submerge the eggs in ice-water.
Super-easy to peel, with no sticking of the inner eggs to the shells.
Edit: Removing from heat after the boil can help avoid cracked shells in the water too. The eggs can bang around the pan during a roiling boil.
Kali
(54,990 posts)empty horizontal surfaces are against the laws of physics around here.
Sounds like my house! I thought surely we were alone in this.
WhiteTara
(29,676 posts)I have come to the point in my life that I don't clean horizontal spaces because the second they are emptied, they are refilled with twice the amount of stuff that was there originally. It's a losing proposition and I surrendered.
marble falls
(56,353 posts)Alpeduez21
(1,739 posts)deveining shrimp
a nonsensical thing that irks me is cleaning egg beaters. I hate that. Especially frosting or a thick batter.
brokephibroke
(1,883 posts)Silver Gaia
(4,514 posts)What a disgusting job! My dislike for that chore is extreme!
XanaDUer2
(10,327 posts)soothsayer
(38,601 posts)brokephibroke
(1,883 posts)Based upon my egg cracking skill of the AM.
Arkansas Granny
(31,483 posts)About the only time I peel them is for mashed potatoes or if the skins don't look so good.
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Arkansas Granny
(31,483 posts)soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Well see
global1
(25,166 posts)There must be an easy way to do that.
LakeArenal
(28,713 posts)I just cut off each end. Slice down the side, peels separate easily.
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Freddie
(9,231 posts)Did I wash my hands/countertops/fridge door handle, etc., enough?
Cairycat
(1,697 posts)especially chicken. You still need to worry about cutting boards and other utensils, but it saves worrying about your hands. Also it gives a little bit of insulation - handling cold raw meat really freezes your hands. Oh, and they're good for cutting up hot peppers.
pansypoo53219
(20,906 posts)Binkie The Clown
(7,911 posts)pansypoo53219
(20,906 posts)don't set your hair on fire. or clothes. i sit to make it easier. i also cut bigger pieces. so i need a new peeve. clean up sucks.
Binkie The Clown
(7,911 posts)pansypoo53219
(20,906 posts)Hekate
(90,189 posts)...until needed, sometimes in warm weather I take one from the cupboard and toss it in the freezer for 20 minutes. No tears. Set the timer tho! Frozen onions turn to mush.
The garlic is a different matter. I wrap whole heads of garlic in zip-lok bags and store them in the freezer. When its time to use them I find them very easy to peel if I do it immediately. Then I can chop them.
Warpy
(110,900 posts)Stick garlic in a small screw top jar, lid on, and shake it like crazy. Most if not all of the peel will be off. You can also rub it back and forth in a folded plastic place mat. Or you can be old fashioned and smash it with the flat of your knife and pick the peel out of it, but that's my least favorite method. To get the garlic off your hands, wash your stainless steel knife using your hands to rub the blade. I don't know why that works, but it does.
I like black pepper, so I just grind away. Recipes are only suggestions, you know. Besides, that fixed amount is for the pre ground, flavorless stuff, anyway, and there's always too little of it to my taste.
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,846 posts)NJCher
(35,421 posts)First, terrific thread. Want to try many of the tips on garlic, onions, and hardboiled eggs.
Here's my cleanup tip.
There are actually two of them: 5" on/5" off, and The Mandatory 5-Minute Cleanup.
I always listen to NPR or a podcast while cooking. This makes the time interesting and fun.
Next, I have many timers and I set one for 5 minutes and 3 seconds. I cook for five minutes, and then I clean for 5 minutes. I switch off and on from cooking to cleaning because it keeps things interesting.
By the time I'm through cooking, the kitchen is in reasonably good condition.
Then after the meal, it is time for The Mandatory 5-Minute Cleanup. I invented TM5"CU for any project that requires getting stuff out. It could be a repair, an art project, whatever. The timer is clicked for 5" and one just cleans only the things that were used making the meal. If that takes less than 5", then attack some other cleaning task in the kitchen.
Granted, one has to plan for this because it takes CAYGO into account, although in a more structured way. I think it's more of a way to plan for the emotional reaction of cleaning (dread). I heard a program on procrastination the other day and it said that procrastination is actually a way of dealing with negative emotions. So if that's true, my method avoids the dread of the big cleanup after the meal.
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)Not as good but almost... And so easy. I'm with you... Hate peeling garlic! #1
Scraping carrots #2
Cleaning stovetop #3