Hack This! (Part 2)

For those who already read the first part of our helpful kitchen tips, The Maya Kitchen brings you another list of hacks in preparation for the holidays.

#1 How to extend the shelf life of bananas

If there’s one thing Pinoys love, it’s bananas—whether it’s for dessert, breakfast, or a snack.

Since bananas usually come in bunches, separate them and wrap the stem portions with cling wrap. This will prevent the stems from emitting gasses that cause ripening.

It’s also a good idea to buy a bunch that is not yet ripe—meaning they’re greenish in color in the ends and yellow in the center. Once they’re ripe you can pop them in the fridge to prevent them from over-ripening too quickly.

#2 How to peel a hard-boiled egg without using your hands

Here’s a quick and easy hack to peel hard-boiled eggs if you’re planning to add some to your greens, or just have a quick dose of protein.

Fill a jar with half a cup of water. Close the lid and turn the jar on its side in your hands and start shaking! When we say shake, we mean you should shake it enough for the egg to hit the sides of the jar. Keep on shaking until the shell peels off. Voila!

#3 How to make melted butter solid again

If you find you’ve melted way more butter than the recipe called for, don’t throw it away just yet!

Prepare two bowls, one that can easily fit into the other. Take the larger bowl and fill it with ice cubes and ice-cold water. Pour the melted butter into the smaller bowl and place it in the larger one. This is what you call an “ice bath.” Note that the butter may look different after this, but it’s still butter.

#4 How to keep pots from boiling over fast

This has happened to many of us once too often, especially when we have more than one pot boiling at the same time!

Place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot. Wood is known to be a poor heat conductor and the hot water will veer away from the wooden spoon’s handle, saving you the trouble.

#5 How to brew coffee without a coffee maker

So the family is going out of town for the holidays, but you forgot the coffee maker. Don’t fret!

Using the same ratio of coffee and water you would put in a coffee maker and boil in a saucepan. When the coffee is done, remove it from the heat and wait five minutes. This will give the coffee grounds time to settle at the bottom of the saucepan. Ladle the coffee into cups making sure not to scrape the bottom or you’ll wind up with coffee grounds.

Now nobody is going without freshly brewed coffee during the holidays!

That done, we hope these kitchen hacks will be a big help. We understand just how much time many of you will be spending in the kitchen cooking up meals for family gatherings.