There are often small troubles in life that cause endless headaches, such as stir-fried dishes that taste hard, pots and pans that are greasy and difficult to clean, and processing of ingredients takes time and requires a lot of effort.
The first reaction of many people is to purchase various so-called "magic" cleaning agents, or to go into the kitchen to select various tools. In fact, there is absolutely no need to do so.
Several common items at home are vinegar, salt, rice water, even leftover tea leaves that have been shelved, and milk that has exceeded its shelf life. If the corresponding methods are used correctly, they can become "wonderful items with specific life functions" that do not cost much and are extremely efficient.
Today I would like to share some very useful tips that have been personally tested. These tips cover many aspects such as cooking, cleaning, and food processing. They can make it easy for you to deal with the trivial and complicated things in your daily life.
Be careful when adding water to stir-fry, and the taste will be improved immediately
Many people routinely add cold water when cooking, especially when the vegetables are too dry when they are put into the pot, so they pour some water on them.
In fact, adding cold water will cause the temperature in the pot to drop sharply in an instant, which will extend the total cooking time. In this case, the vegetables cooked in this situation will easily become soft and yellow, eventually causing them to lose their original crisp and tender taste.
The correct method is to prepare a small pot of boiling water. When it is time to add water, pour it in along the edge of the pot. The high-temperature water vapor contained in it can quickly make the vegetables ripe and at the same time keep them bright green and crispy.
For example, when frying lotus root shreds, add a small amount of boiling water while frying. This can effectively prevent the lotus root shreds from turning black due to oxidation. The final product will have a higher appearance and a sweeter taste.
When scrambling eggs, add a tablespoon of warm water to the egg liquid, stir it evenly, and then add it to the pot. The eggs scrambled in this way will be more numerous, fluffy and tender, and will not be hard and lumpy.
These small adjustments can directly improve the taste of home-cooked food to a higher level.
Food pre-processing to remove odor, one simple step makes a big difference
The peculiar smell of the ingredients themselves, such as the swill-like smell of tofu, and the fishy smell of fish, if not handled properly, will have a great impact on the flavor of the final dish.
Before putting the tofu in the pot, soak it in boiling water for 15 minutes, which can effectively remove the beany smell and make it taste more delicious.
When making fish soup, if you want the soup to be milky white in color and have a delicious taste, you must pour cold water into the pot, and add enough water at one time. After the high heat brings it to a boil, switch to low heat and simmer for a long time.
In this way, the protein and fat in the fish can slowly precipitate, and the soup has a mellow flavor.
Be careful not to add raw water in the middle, because changes in temperature will cause the protein to coagulate, making the soup clearer, and the flavor will be greatly reduced.
The same goes for steaming fish or meat. You need to wait until the water in the pot is completely boiled before putting it on the drawer. This is because the high temperature can cause the outer parts of the ingredients to shrink instantly, thereby locking the juice inside. When the meat is cooked, the meat will be both tender and shiny.
Vinegar is useful for more than seasoning, it can also be used for emergency cleaning
Vinegar, which is always available at home, has many practical functions besides cooking.
When you have signs of slight motion sickness, you can drink a cup of water with a light acetic acid taste, which will have a refreshing effect and relieve physical discomfort.
Sometimes insomnia occurs. Mixing a spoonful of vinegar with cold boiled water and drinking it will also have a certain effect in helping you sleep. If you add some honey, the taste will be better.
When it comes to cleaning, vinegar can soften limescale and certain stains.
For glass or ceramic tiles stained with paint, soak a rag with vinegar and leave it on for a while. When the paint softens, it will come off with a wipe.
For silk or wool products, after completing the cleaning operation, add a little white vinegar to the last clean water, soak for a few minutes and then dry. This will restore the fabric's luster and make it softer to the touch.
However, you need to pay attention to the concentration. Usually, diluted vinegar is used when cleaning to prevent the surface of the object from being corroded.
Don’t waste tea residue, it’s all done to remove the smell, absorb moisture and nourish flowers.
The remaining tea leaves after drinking tea, after slightly draining the water, is actually a treasure with a certain value.
The fragrant wet tea leaves can be used to wipe the chopping board where fish has been cut, the chopping board where onions and garlic have been cut, and the dishes. It can effectively remove fishy odors and odors, and is more environmentally friendly than using dishwashing liquid.
Gently scrubbing greasy pots or wooden dining tables with tea leaves will have a very good effect in removing oil stains. After wiping, wipe them again with a damp cloth, and they will eventually look as smooth as new.
Place the dried tea leaves in a small cloth bag, and then stuff it into a shoe cabinet, a wardrobe, or a corner of the room. It can absorb moisture and remove odors.
Friends who like to grow flowers can take the tea leaves and soak them in water for a few days. The water formed after fermentation is a very high-quality organic fertilizer. Watering this fermented water at the roots of plants that like gardenias and jasmines that like acidic environments can supplement nutrients for the plants and promote their growth.
Rice water is a natural detergent, environmentally friendly and saves money
It would be a pity to just throw away the water used for washing rice every day.
The first rice-washing water is slightly acidic, contains starch granules, and has good decontamination capabilities. The same is true for the second rice-washing water.
When putting on light-colored clothes, soaking them in rice water and scrubbing them first will make it easier to remove stains, and it can also prevent the clothes from turning yellow and fading.
When it comes to ingredients with a fishy smell, such as pork belly and bacon, using rice water to wash them is more trouble-free and labor-saving than using salt or alum, and the effect of removing the fishy smell will be better.
The saltiness of bacon is outstanding. It can be soaked in rice water for up to half a day. This will allow part of the salt to be analyzed and the taste will become more moderate during the cooking time.
Frequently use rice water to wipe the wooden and painted furniture purchased at home, which can not only remove dust, but also keep the paint surface bright.
Newly bought lacquerware has a smell. If you wipe it with rice water several times, the smell will be reduced a lot.
The multi-functionality of salt: from cleaning to preservation, one thing can be used for many purposes
Table salt is used for much more than seasoning.
For minor burns caused by boiling water, immediately use cold salt water to rinse the injured area, or wipe the injured area to reduce the burning sensation.
Add a handful of salt to the bathtub when bathing to help relieve itchy skin.
When frying food, put a little salt in the oil pan to effectively prevent hot oil from splashing.
When washing clothes, especially jeans or dark-colored clothes, soak them in salt water for ten minutes before washing. This will help stabilize the color and prevent the color of the clothes from fading.
When washing fruits, first rub away surface stains with clean water, and then soak them in light salt water for half an hour. This can help remove some residual pesticides and impurities, so you can eat more safely.
In summer, tofu is very perishable. The way to extend the freshness time is to soak it in cold salt water and then put it in the refrigerator for refrigeration.
Unexpected uses for milk, expired milk can also come in handy
If you can’t finish the milk or it’s slightly expired, don’t throw it away in a hurry.
Before frying the fish, soak the fish in milk for a while, which can effectively remove the fishy smell and make the fish meat more tender.
If your clothes are accidentally stained with wine stains or fruit stains, apply boiled milk to the stained area, let it sit for a while, and then clean it according to regular methods, which will make it easier to clean the stains.
White sneakers that have been worn for a long time will have yellowing on the edges. In this case, you can use a toothbrush to mix a small amount of toothpaste with a little milk and then scrub, so that the yellowing effect will be obvious.
After the shoe polish has hardened, add a few drops of fresh milk into it and then stir it to restore its softness and make it easier to use.
It should be noted that if expired milk is in a lumpy state or emits a sour smell, it is not recommended to be used in contact with the skin or to handle food. However, it can still be used for watering flowers (needing to be diluted) and for cleaning dark leather.
Toothpaste has amazing cleaning power and is good at dealing with stubborn stains
The abrasives and surfactants in toothpaste make it a good mild cleanser.
The scale on the washbasin and the faucet can be wiped with a damp cloth and lightly dipped in a little toothpaste, and it will soon become as shiny as new.
On the kitchen stove, the scorch accumulated over time should first be applied with a warm and wet cloth to soften it, and then scrubbed with a nylon scouring pad dipped in toothpaste. In this way, it can be easily removed.
If your hands are contaminated with an unpleasant smell like fish or engine oil, use toothpaste to scrub your hands, and then rinse them with clean water. In this way, the smell can be generally eliminated.
The surface of the furniture is light-colored and has yellowing marks. It is necessary to dip a soft cloth in toothpaste and then wipe it gently. This can also achieve a certain degree of cleaning and whitening effect.
However, toothpaste is abrasive, so for those with very smooth paint or screens, you need to be extremely gentle during use to prevent scratches.
These methods are easy to obtain materials and simple to operate. They are all practical experiences accumulated in life.
The core is to understand the characteristics of common items and use them flexibly.
If you encounter a little tricky situation like this next time, you might as well see if you have these "treasures" on hand and give them a try. You may be able to save time, effort and money.
The little wisdom of life is hidden in these seemingly ordinary objects and a little effort.
