Do you ever wonder how people who can’t cook to save their lives are getting by in a world where eating is a requirement for life to exist? It’s a necessary evil that, if you don’t contend with, you won’t be able to contend with anything at all.
But what if I told you that nobody’s hopeless and that everyone can learn it, given that they undergo the right kind of training? Yep, r/FoodHacks is one such place for folks to learn how to go about making food without having to remodel their kitchen every time cooking happens.
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Absolutely A Genius Idea
Wish I Knew This Sooner But My Future Sandwiches Are Gonna Be So Much Better
If You Want To Keep A Salad Fresh, Put A Paper Towel On Top Under The Lid To Absorb Moisture. Pic On The Right Is Day 4
The r/FoodHacks Reddit community is dedicated to delivering quick and simple tips and tricks on prepping food that would be delicious, nutritious, and wouldn’t demand architectural nor spiritual sacrifices to make it happen.
The last time Bored Panda covered hacks, tips and tricks from the community, it had 2.1 million members but has since then (almost two years later at this point) doubled and stands at 4.3 million, making it the Top 1% by size on Reddit.
Does Anybody Else Do This Or Am I The Only Crazy One?
Biggest Food Hack Is To Never Try And Catch The Knife. Just Step Back
Put A Koozie On Your Ice Cream Pint, Keep Your Hand Warm, And Ice Cream Cold
As you probably might have already expected, the community is all about sharing advice that’s both simple and useful for every caliber of cook.
Advice spans across pretty much any domain of the cooking process: everything from preparation to technique and methodology to frugal solutions to make cooking convenient. And fun, don’t forget that! Oh, and creative, definitely that too.
Much, if not all of it, is all about making it approachable for everyone. And once you’ve mastered it, you can go full gourmet all while being an amateur underneath it all.
Spring Onions In Water Works Almost Too Well. Infinite Greens!
May I Present You With The Fork Anchor
Easiest Way To Instantly Improve Your Baking: Use The Right Type Of Baking Pan
Now, sure, you can argue that cooking isn’t easy. Skill is only part of the equation, and lacking even that can seem like a hurdle that’s impossible to overcome.
All around food expert and historian Rachel Laudan elaborated on why cooking is hard in a blog post of hers. Besides actual skill, there’s also things like supermarket inventory, food handling and storage, mental capacity for recipes, basic knowledge of chemistry, alchemy, and any other -y to even begin to understand how to turn something raw into something edible.
A Little Too Fancy For My Liking Thoughts?
Storing Avocados With Onion In The Refrigerator Keeps Avocado Fresh For Days. I Learned This By Accident And Found Out It's Actually A Thing
Don’t Have A Cake Dome? Use A Tupperware Container Upside Down To Store It
If you were to consciously consider all the fine detail that goes into cooking, it’s not just throwing peas into a pan and calling it a day. No, Laudan estimates even after decades of cooking, it still takes her at least 8 to 12—at least—hours per week to make cooking happen at all. In context, that’s a work day and a half. Throw in planning, shopping and all that jazz and you got yourself a part time job as a domestic chef without even interviewing for the position.
Use A Binder Clip To Keep Your Thermometer Inside Your Cooking Liquid…
Use Empty Sriracha Containers As Twist Top Cooking Oil Dispensers
It's also good for thicker sauces like oyster sauce- so you don't have to smack the bottom or shake it up and down to amen it come out each time!
We Are Well Into Apple Pie Season
But, practice makes perfect. Cooking is no exception. If you can get across the initial hurdle of deciding what you want to cook and invest yourself in it, you’ll get progressively better.
Nobody is born a master at it. Blogger Christine Amorose Merrill points that out in a piece of hers on how practice makes perfect in the kitchen. One thing she always hears from her grandmother, who in her eyes is the epitome of cooking, is “I’ve had years to practice. Of course I’m going to be better at it than you!” It takes time, patience and reflection to make it work. No other way about it.
I Had A Ton Of Leftover Christmas Ham, So I Rolled It In Puff Pastry, With Some Brie, Cranberry Sauce And Mustard! Here They Are, Freshly Baked In January
"Pie" Broken Down By Definition
Three Words: Air Fried Broccoli
And you’d be surprised how far simple culinary tricks can take you. You don’t need dimensional thinking or the fingers of a god to perfectly line a tray with baking paper. You don’t need to cut yourself, nor be meticulous with how you cut an onion. Heck, you don’t even need to cut open a butter packet at a restaurant and use anything other than a fork and fingers to spread it on bread as an appetizer or side-whatever-those-things-are-called. Learn that and you’re golden!
Door Dasher Asked For A Drink Holder…. Hold My Apron
Heavy Cream About To Go Bad? Shake It In A Jar And Make Butter (And Some Bonus Buttermilk.) Don’t Forget The Flaky Salt!
Unused Disposable Chopsticks Make Great Bag Clips
And if you’re thinking, “Well, you still have to know what you're doing to make sure your food stays healthy and stuff," you’d be right. To some degree.
The way you cook does have an impact on the nutrients you’ll be getting in the end, but it’s also not rocket science. Lay off the salt and use herbs and spices instead, eat fruits and vegetables, focus on the least-processed foods or foods that you know the origins of and you should be more than fine. Heck, salads don’t even need any cooking—just chopping and ingesting. And that is healthy!
The Easiest And Best French Toast
All I used is the egg nog and French bread. I chose the cinnamon flavor this time, but I’ve also used the Southern Comfort kind too.
Funny name, since in France, it's called "lost bread" (pain perdu).
An Absolute Revolution For Herbs. This Cilantro Is Two Weeks Old. It’s As If It Were Picked Today. Paper Towel On Bottom, Rinse & Untied Cilantro, Paper Towel On Top - Sealed In Container
I Just Bought A New Knife Set And Was Thinking This Post May Help A Few Of Us
Another thing that helps in this case is understanding food. Rob Lapham, an award winning registered health viking, dedicates much of his time debunking food myths, giving out helpful food advice, and straight up educating folks on the things that actually matter when it comes to staying healthy.
One of the key takeaways that Lapham has emphasized time and time again is the idea of being able to eat pretty much anything that is considered food, as long as it is in moderation.
If You Have Leftovers From A Cookout, 1 Hot Dog Bun Makes 3 Great Slider Buns
I Use A Mason Jar Ring To Form Hamburger Patties!
Packaging Chopped Mirepoix And Freeze For Soup Base Saves Time
I bag up and freeze my veggie trimmings/chicken bones from prepping until I have enough to make stock
With that said, yes, it’s perfectly fine to eat frozen dinners, it’s perfectly fine to eat McDonald’s or KFC, it’s perfectly fine to put mayonnaise on bread. There are entire sets of laws and regulations that apply to the food industry that make sure what you eat doesn’t kill you. Even if the food does have known carcinogens or stuff you’d otherwise consider poisonous, as long as they are within legal limits, within a chemical context, and it’s being consumed in moderation, the food is for all intents and purposes good.
I Am Never Going To Throw Away My Potato Peels Again! My #1 Leftover Hack
Roast Your Bones And Garlic Together Before Making Your Favorite Soups And Gravies..... 350° @ 25 Mins Does Wonders And Adds Dimension
This Simple Item Makes It Easy To Make Soup Stock. Great For A Rotisserie Chicken Carcass. Just Simmer What You’d Like In It And Discard
I just simmer everything and then scoop it into a colander over a big mixing bowl. Then move the colander back over the pot and let it drain for and hour or so
You could also reuse the toe of a clean pair of pantyhose or fishnets, or a small lingerie bag
I'll just use my spare, mismatched socks. Save even more money. :-)
More waste. And cotton is not enviroment friendly. Why not just use a sieve?
It's not waste because you can wash them and reuse. Wrangling a heavy stockpot over a sieve is not possibke for some people.
Load More Replies...So, if you’re up for it (honestly, you have no choice, you gotta eat), dig through the endless arsenal of food advice on r/FoodHacks and educate yourself to a degree where you can make casual look like gourmet.
But before you do that, the comment section is open for your own hacks, stories and takes on food, so be sure to share all that you have to say down below!
Never Knew
If Your Cheesecake Has Any Cracks: Just “Decorate” It In Fruit
See reference to water bath and also keep oven door closed ( stop peeking lol) helps keep moisture and lessen cracking
[oc] Just A Friendly Reminder To Always Check Your Dried Beans For Rocks Before Cooking Them. It’s Rare, But They Can Get Mixed In
Not The Best Quality Image, But I Put My Soup Dumplings In Silicone Cupcake Cups Before Putting Them In The Steamer Because I'm Tired Of My Dumplings Sticking To My Steamer And Then Ripping Open Thus Leaving Me With A Soup-Less Soup Dumpling
Everyone Is Obsessed With My Salsa, I Don’t Make It Any Different But My Secret Is That I Add A Few Splashes Of White Wine Vinegar 🤫 Brings Out Tons Of Flavor!
A Simple Guide To Give Ideas For Not Your Regular Mac An Cheese
Roll a d8 for type of noodle and then a d6 for what you put on the noodles
Deboning A Fish Filet? Grab An Ultraviolet Light To Easily See All The Pin-Bones, Even The Tiny Ones You Tried Taking Out And Accidentally Broke The Tips Off
I Had Some Leftover Lasagna Trimmings, So I Fried Them, Seasoned Them With Salt, Garlic, And Italian Seasoning. Then Served With Warm Sauce On The Side. A Tasty Snack To Eat While Waiting For The Actual Lasagna To Cook!
I suspect Garfield would complain, but still eat the entire plate in one swoop
My Two Year Old Puts Yogurt On Waffles. It Actually Tastes Really Good
Creamy yogurt is amazing with waffles. Also, getting cast iron flat waffle maker was great decision, it doesn't make that fluffy kind you see everywhere, but thin, crispy kind, similar to waffle ice cream cone. Grab them with some yogurt, cinnamon sugar and fresh fruits (strawberries, blueberries, pear, apples, bananas,... whatever you like, but I doubt that melon would be good) and there are very few desserts that can compete with this.
Anyone Else Uses A Protein Shaker For Mixing Pancake Batter?
How To Prevent Your Housemates And Their Guests From Eating All Your Home Made Fudge
Keep it in the cookie tin. Everyone thinks it's sewing supplies.
Easiest Dish - Slow Roasted Beets With Honey Goat Cheese And Balsamic Vinegar
Use A Sturdy (Non-Rusting) Napkin Holder To Hold Your Cutting Boards Flush Up Against The Back Wall Of Your Main Prep Counter
For Those Days When You Crave A Old Fashion Ice Cream Sandwich. Take Your Favorite Cookies And Do This. Yummy!
Using Grilled Potatoes Instead Of Meat In Fajitas Or Tacos - It Goes Very Well And Is Also Way Cheaper
Taters are our "meatless monday" go to. I've gotten pretty good at pan frying them lately.
Was Very Impressed Seeing This
They look tasty. I might even have to suggest cutting eggs in half and putting cheese in the middle to my husband next time he makes scotch eggs.
Every Easter I Make Hot Cross Dogs
You Need To Bake Your Cheesecake In A Water Bath. Here’s Why
Stupid question: Do you place the cheesecake into the water before putting into the oven?
Hot Water You Boiled The Eggs In Keeps Plate Hot Through A Slow Breakfast
How To Juice Your Lemons Or Limes? Microwave Them For 7-10 Seconds And Roll Them Back And Forth. You'll Be Surprised How Much More Juice You'll Get!
If they don't explode and spray lemon juice inside the microwave. Cut them in half!
Coffee Guitar Ice Cubes. Cute And Functional So Your Coffee Doesn’t Get Diluted With Regular Ice
Cute, but regular ice trays filled with coffee work exactly the same
So Much Cheaper To Make Your Own Blends And Rubs
Eggs And Kimchi Can Turn A Boring Cup Of Noodles Into Hearty Noodle Bowl
Beer Can Taco Stand
Cut A Pizza Slice In Half Stack Em Like A Sandwich And Panini Press Em. Best Midnight Snack Ever
Taco Holders Hold More Than Tacos
Freeze Pre-Cut Fruits Is The Best Hack For Morning Healthy Smoothies If You're Running Late Preparing The Ingredients. Add Milk Or Yogurt, Then Toss In The Blender
Waffle Iron As Paninni Press
Use Two Thin Rubber Bands To Hold Rickety Gingerbread Walls In Place!
My Pancake Hack. Spoonful Of Bacon Fat In Each Cup, Heat In The Oven For A Few Minutes Then Fill Halfway With Batter And Bake Until Set. Top With Blueberries And Crumbled Bacon
Add Untoasted Sesame Seeds To Panko And Fry As Usual Served With Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Fry Some Bread In The Residual Oil From Making Aglio E Olio
Toaster Oven S'mores For When You Don't Have A Campfire
i'll never understand the popularity of the smores "hacks"...the whole point is to be outside sitting around a fire with friends when eating a smore
Silicone Coffee Lids Are A Perfect Fit For Tinned Products!
Opened products like the beans in the picture should never be stored in the original metal cans! Ever!
Oranges Baked In The Oven Together With The Chicken Are Delicious
Making Your Herbs Fresh Every Time You Cook Or Giving Them A Longer Shelf Life
You Don’t Need To Knead Focaccia Bread: Instead You Can Let It Rise 8-12 Hr At Room Temp
Kneading also forms gluten and without it, the texture will be different.
The 10 Oz Setting On A Keurig Machine Will Perfectly Fill A Ramen Cup
Grease A Muffin Tin, 1 Tablespoon Shredded Cheddar In Each Spot, Top With Thick Sliced Pickle. 425f For 15 Mins
For Easy Portioning, I Freeze My Leftover Shredded Pork In A Muffin Tin. Once They Hold Their Shape I Move Them To A Gallon Freezer Bag. (Holds Approx 20) Takes Less Than A Minute To Fully Heat Up In The Microwave!
Foolproof Pumpkin Pie
Since Everyone Here Is Confused About Melons
My favourite melon joke was from when I was a kid watching Saved by the Bell. It's the episode where Screech and Lisa want to get married. Their principal Mr Belding is trying to talk Screech out of it and goes: "But Screech! You can't elope!" and Screech goes "Don't call me a cantaloupe, you melon head!" It still makes me giggle even today.
Use A Lemon Juicer To Make Smashed Potatoes Extra Crispy
Bacon And Egg Sandwich Using Waffle Iron
Cut Celery And Place It In Water For Storage. Lasts Longer And Stays Crispy
Short A Slice Of Cheese For Your Bologna? Just Cut Off The Corners Of Each Slice And Re-Distribute
Ways To Cook Bacon
Was Paying $1 Per Mango. Went To The Flea Market Instead And Got All Of This For $17
Use A Cookie Scoop To Portion And Freeze Tomato Paste
You Can Easily Make Fancy Green Onions Using Pinking Shears!
What's Your Favorite? 🧁
Spoons For Anchors
Get Cracks In Your Cheesecake? Pipe Chocolate Ganache Into Them? Don’t Have Heavy Cream For Chocolate Ganache? Approximate It With A Ratio Of 2 Parts Butter And 5 Parts Milk For 7 Parts Chocolate (Measured By Weight!)
Read On Here Somewhere That Mayo In Mashed Potatoes Is The Key To Creaminess, And You Don't Notice The Mayo. Here To Report It Is Divine
So, I Like Fried Egg Sandwiches With Ketchup, But Hate The Way Ketchup Makes The Bread Soggy. My Solution? A Cheese Crust On The Inside Faces Of The Bread
When Your Pot Is Too Thin But You Need The Size For Red Sauce
Collard Green BBQ Burritos-For Those Who Are Following A Keto Diet - Never Go Back To Tortillas
GF Pizza Type Of Meal. It's Mashed Potato With Cheese, Red Sauce, And Pepperoni. Very Tasty And Fast To Make
Why Do Cookie Recipes Call For Both Baking Powder And Baking Soda?
Cacao vs. Cocoa
Silly me thinking that is the same thing, just in English from England and English from USA. 😱
Combine Hamburger Helper And Mixed Veggies For A Cheap, Quick, And Surprisingly Delicious Meal. I Call It Poverty Helper
Healthy Teeth Snack Guide
Bulk Instant Ramen Is Cheaper Than Buying Noodles, Toss The Flavor Packet Aside And Just Use The Noodz...steak And Bacon Stir Fry With Whiskey Garlic Sauce
Make A Loop For Your Pasta Dough, If You Can't Manage The Length
Pb&j With Sliced Bananas Made In Waffle Maker
Not worth the clean up for me. Also, that photo does not look at all like it was made in a waffle maker. Sus
10 Simple Turkey Seasoning Hacks
Store-Bought Broth May Be Convenient, But Homemade Ones Are Still The Best. Making Them In Large Amounts And Then Freezing Them Is A Tip In A Million
Want To Cool Your Beers In The Freezer Even Faster? Put Some Salt In The Ice Or The Wet Cloth That Covers Your Beer
I can still remember the 'plop' after forgetting my beer in the freezer. Don't forget to put a timer...
Place Two Slices Of Bread On Top Of Each Other In A Toaster Oven For A Sandwich With Crispy Outside And Warm Inside
Best Freezer Method
An Underrated Way Of Heating Up A Poptart. Treat It Like A Wafel And Lay It On Your Coffee Top And Enjoy ~
Zero Calorie Bubly With Straight Cherry Or Pomegranate Extract Is The Best Low Calorie, Flavour Packed Drink There Is, This Cup Is Around 15 Calories And Better Than Any Soft Drink On The Market
Bread Crusts- I Often Cut Of The Crusts Of Store Bought Bread For Sandwiches Or To Toast For Burgers. I Save Them Bc They Are So Good Toasted And Dipped In Soft Butter And Over Easy And Poached Eggs With Coffee Or Tea
Love The Golden Hue To Your Fried Food, Which Air Fryers Can't Seem To Give You? A Quick Spritz Of Cooking Spray Before Putting Them In The Fryer Will Do The Trick!
Mayonnaise And Hot Miso Sauce Make For A Great Dip
Brown Sugar On Bacon And Put Into The Air Fryer. Easy Candied Bacon
Using The Ladle To Hold Your Utensils On A Wok
Flatbread/Lavash Bread Makes Good Lasagna “Pasta” And Is The Perfect Size To Fit A 13x9” Baking Dish! Can Be Very Low In Carbs Too
My Personal Favorite Snack (Mexican). Add Grilled Sausages For Even More Deliciousness
why does this have o points? this is actually a very nice dish, but its a SNACK dont eat it often
If You Like Sweet Corn Then Cook It In Milk With Sugar Added. Do Not Cook In Salted Water!
Patience Is Key
Watermelon With Soy Sauce, Don't Knock It Till You Try It
Cut A Slit In Your Freeze Pop And Tear It To Avoid Needing To Wash The Scissors
I used to cut the corners in a round shape so there are no pointy plastic corners hurting the corners of my mouth.
No Bowl No Problem. And The Milk Gets Chocolatey
To Find The Hot Spots On Your Grill, Take A Loaf Of Sliced Bread And Cover The Grill, And Turn It On High For A Minute Or So
You Can Use Sliced Turkey Or Chicken Breast In Place Of Lasagna Noodles To Create A Delicious Lasagna Alternative For People Watching Carbs!
Possibly starting an argument here: Bleu cheese can actually taste very good if use you eat/use it right.
Agree! Fresh figs! Avocado and Romain. On a savory cracker. Rosemary steak. Fried potatoes and hot sauce.
Load More Replies...After reading this list for long enough, I've deduced that we have a downvote fairy problem.
Cooking TIPS, stop saying HACKS. Hack meanings include, to sever, to annoy, to gain illegal access to a computer.
Here's one for you: They sell canned nacho cheese in the hispanic section of the grocery store. Use that for your next batch of mac and cheese. One can per two servings. Beats the hell out of that powdered stuff from a box.
Possibly starting an argument here: Bleu cheese can actually taste very good if use you eat/use it right.
Agree! Fresh figs! Avocado and Romain. On a savory cracker. Rosemary steak. Fried potatoes and hot sauce.
Load More Replies...After reading this list for long enough, I've deduced that we have a downvote fairy problem.
Cooking TIPS, stop saying HACKS. Hack meanings include, to sever, to annoy, to gain illegal access to a computer.
Here's one for you: They sell canned nacho cheese in the hispanic section of the grocery store. Use that for your next batch of mac and cheese. One can per two servings. Beats the hell out of that powdered stuff from a box.