Ok, Eleny started it so it's time for another kitchen hack thread.

[flamin lib]

How to resurrect wilted veggies: https://www.democraticunderground.com/115790622

I'll contribute this one: If you make your own stock and am tired of boil overs use your remote read thermometer set to 210f. When it goes off get thee to the stove and monitor the stock to a simmer.

C'mon, share your favorite hacks to make life easier for the rest of us!

[Warpy]

1. I had a couple of heads of garlic to peel

and I didn't have the two big steel bowls to do the Martha Stewart trick.

So I broke the cloves apart and put them into a glass peanut butter jar and screwed the lid on, put on some rude music and played maracas in the background, garlic cloves in glass.

It worked. I ended up with over a dozen perfectly peeled garlic cloves and a jar full of papery skin.

(I have to set my thermometer at 195. Water boils at 200F at this altitude)

[eleny]

3. I usually put the cloves under the wide chef's knife blade and give it a smack

I never could get them to peel using the bowls. Maybe the smaller jar is the secret. I'm going to try it.

[Warpy]

5. You can't just give it a few anemic shakes

Put on some rude music and play it like maracas.

[eleny]

2. I'm having a V-8 moment

I never thought of that. Although I simmer the stock slowly I'm constantly running to check it to see that it isn't bubbling too much. I can determine what that temp is and just set the remote read to let me know if and when it gets that high. No more guessing game. Thanks!

[flamin lib]

4. Eggs, an endless topic!

If you want to make deviled eggs, store the eggs on their side for a day or so before boiling. The yolk centers up so you have a nice even white to put the filling in.

It makes sense. Eggs don't stand on their end when a hen lays them, right?

[eleny]

6. I saw this video the other day and will try it soon

She made a bunch of eggs in the same pot but removed them for different yolk finishes. Thought you might like it because she shows us ow to avoid getting that dark yoke thing.

I have to try your idea for laying them on their sides for a couple of days. Love it. It does make sense!

[yellowdogintexas]

8. Julia Child's method for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Pierce a pinhole in the large end of each egg (push pin is perfect for this)

place eggs in a large saucepan

add enough cold water to cover the eggs completely & add salt

bring to a boil; when water is boiling, cover the pan, turn off the heat and set your timer for 12 minutes.

Have a large bowl of ice and water ready and put the eggs in it. (I use a slotted spoon and just scoop them out into the ice..it's kind of fun to push the eggs down into the ice then add cold water). They should peel very nicely after they are cooled.

You should have perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs no green ring

You can just rinse your sauce pan and put it in the dish drainer.

Another important thing: the fresher the eggs are, the harder they will be to peel

[eleny]

7. Melting butter or spread

I rarely remember to take out some butter or spread to go to room temp or melt ahead of time. And the microwave makes it melt too fast and it often gets too hot.

The other day I took my coffee cup off my cup warmer plate that I keep by the pc and thought that it might slowly melt the butter for that day's recipe. So I put the butter spread in a berry bowl and placed it on the warmer. I left it for a minute or two and it melted the spread pretty fast with no popping like in the microwave.

Btw, I like this new warmer because it has a hot setting that can even heat a half cup of coffee that's gone almost room temp. It has a warm setting and an off setting with a blue light to remind you that it could still not be safe enough to touch until it's the light goes off. So I have at least two warm settings for melting spread.