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There is frequently a do-it-yourself remedy on hand for most of the niggling problems we encounter in the kitchen; with the right ploy or different approach to handling an apparently insurmountable hitch, the desired solution can be rapidly achieved.
For instance, how to avoid crying over sliced onions? How to prevent bread turning into a shapeless lump in the microwave, with the consistency of an archaeological find? For this and many other of life’s little torments, Youtube comes to our aid to solve 7 common cooking problems, with 7 videos.
HOW TO STOP CRYING OVER ONIONS
You could buy yourself a pair of onion goggles, or simply follow the advice of this video to avoid crying like a baby:
- Put the onion in the fridge
- Place the onions under icy water for 30 seconds
- Place the onion in boiling water for 30 seconds.
HOW TO PEEL GARLIC IN A WINK
Let’s imagine that a recipe you are making requires a large amount of garlic and you have no desire to peel the cloves one by one and end up with hands that smell garlicky for hours: the solution is to squash the cloves and put them into a salad spinner. Give them a good whirl until the peel comes cleanly off the cloves.
HOW TO MAKE COFFEE WITHOUT A MOKA OR COFFEE MACHINE
One of the biggest obstacles you have to address when on holiday, or when your coffee machine breaks down is “how to make the coffee”? This video provides a disarmingly simple solution: you just need a cup, two saucepans and a spoon. Voilà, your daily dose of caffeine is assured. Click here to watch the tutorial on how to make coffee without a moka.
HOW TO CLEAN PANS SPOTLESSLY
We have dedicated a special post to this age-old problem but you just have to watch the video to realize how easy it is to get your pots and pans looking spick and span.
HOW TO PEEL COCONUT IN JUST A FEW SECONDS
Do you need fresh coconut for a special recipe but the idea of peeling it daunts you? Then, think ahead and put the nut in the freezer a few hours beforehand and you will see how easy it is to extract the delicious pulp.
HOW TO AVOID SCATTERING SWEET PEPPER SEEDS EVERYWHERE
Do you get seeds everywhere when you are making stewed peppers? To avoid scattering seeds all over your worktop, you just have to cut the pepper at each end and avoid the centre. If this is new to you, see the video above for a full explanation.
HOW TO HEAT BREAD AND POTATOES CORRECTLY IN THE MICROWAVE
This trick works equally well for bread, potatoes and leavened products in general: if you wish to heat them in the microwave, don’t forget to add a cup full of water; this will stop everything from becoming hard and inedible.
