Tips For Kitchen Life: Chop Onions And Garlic To Remove Odor, Use Dishcloth To Sterilize, And Cook With Less Fumes
The kitchen is a place where we have to deal with it every day. However, many seemingly ordinary operating habits actually hide many hidden dangers related to health and efficiency traps.
Today I’m going to talk about some of the little kitchen subtleties that you probably never noticed. After correcting them, your life will be much easier.
Stainless steel really works to remove the smell of onions and garlic
After cutting the onions and garlic, the spicy smell on my hands was really annoying. I washed it with hand sanitizer many times, but I still felt that there was residue.
In fact, there is a very simple method. Turn on the faucet, let the water flow, and then use your palms on the inner wall of the stainless steel sink, or rub the surface of the stainless steel spoon quickly for a few times, and the smell will disappear quickly.
The principle behind this is that the sulfides contained in onions and garlic will react with chromium, nickel and other metal elements contained in stainless steel, thereby generating substances that can be dissolved in water, and are eventually taken away by water flow.
It's not a mysterious recipe, but a small application of daily chemistry based on science.
Dish cloths are dirtier than you think
Many people think that dishwashing cloths should be very clean if they come into contact with dishwashing liquid every day.
But the actual situation is completely opposite. The dishcloth with damp characteristics and the warm state still has food residues on it.
, which is equivalent to an excellent breeding ground for bacteria to multiply wildly. Relevant studies have shown that the number of bacteria present on used dishcloths is likely to be far greater than you originally imagined. The appropriate handling method is as follows: After each use, wring out as much water as possible, then unfold and dry in a ventilated place. If you have handled raw meat or fish on the same day, it is best to soak them in boiling water for two minutes to achieve sterilization.
Basically make sure that the dishwashing cloth is moist to avoid catching fire, and then continue a heating operation for about 30 seconds at a high flame that is specific to microwave ovens. This may also have a significant effect on disinfection.
Don't let it sit there in a wet ball.
Is there a lot of fumes from cooking? Maybe the heat is wrong
Many people adhere to the concept of "stir-frying ingredients over high heat", but they often pour oil in the pan before it is hot, or do not put in the food until thick white smoke rises from the oil pan. The amount of oil smoke produced at this time is the most considerable, which not only has a pungent smell, but is also harmful to health.
A reasonable approach should be to "heat the pot and cool the oil", that is, heat the empty pot first, and then pour in the cooking oil when you notice hot air rising from the bottom of the pot.
When you see that the oil surface begins to show subtle ripples, or when small bubbles appear quickly after dropping a small piece of green onion and ginger, the oil temperature at this time has almost reached the appropriate level. This appropriate level is approximately in the range of 160 – 180°C.
Putting ingredients into a pot at this temperature can quickly lock the moisture in the ingredients, thereby producing "pot gas", and can also reduce the generation of harmful oil smoke to the greatest extent.
Don’t rush to stuff the leftovers in the refrigerator
Many people usually put the steaming dishes and the warm steaming rice just out of the pot into a crisper, close the lid and put them in the refrigerator, thinking that this will keep them fresher.
But this operation will actually "impair" other food in the refrigerator.
A large amount of hot air rushes in instantly, which can cause the local temperature inside the refrigerator to rise. This will not only greatly increase the energy consumption of the refrigerator, but it may also cause the temperature of the surrounding food that has been refrigerated to fluctuate, which can accelerate the deterioration of the food.
The correct way to implement this is to allow the food to cool naturally at room temperature until it is not hot enough (close to room temperature), and this process generally takes about half an hour.
If you are in a hurry, you can spread it out on a plate, which will dissipate heat more quickly, and then put it into a crisper for refrigeration.
How to refrigerate onions without shedding tears
When cutting onions, your eyes will be irritated because when onion cells rupture, they release propylthialdehyde-S-oxide, an irritating gas.
Methods such as wearing swimming goggles and lighting candles circulated on the Internet are either inconvenient or have limited effectiveness.
The most practical trick is as follows, that is, before cutting, place the onions in the refrigerator compartment for about half an hour.
Low temperatures significantly reduce the rate at which this gas evaporates.
When cutting, the top part must be cut off first, but the roots need to be left temporarily, because the roots collect the largest amount of sulfides. Finally, the roots must be treated, which can effectively reduce the probability of "tears".
The bottom of the pot is burnt, don't soak it with water yet
A burnt pot has a layer of black scorch on the bottom. People's first reaction is often to add water and soak it. This is because the pot was accidentally burned.
Really, for stainless steel pots or cast iron pots, there is a more labor-saving method: add water to the burnt pot, just enough to cover the burnt area, and then pour a small cup of white vinegar, or place a few slices of lemon.
Bring to a boil over low heat and keep for a few minutes, you'll notice the burnt bits begin to loosen.
After turning off the heat, wait for a while, use a wooden spatula or silicone spatula, and push it gently, most of the scorch will be able to fall off, and then normal cleaning will be very easy.
Acidic substances can help break down the coked layer and protect the pot better than simply brushing with steel wool.
These kitchen tricks are not mysterious techniques, but it is these ordinary details that determine our efficiency and mood when cooking, and they are indeed related to the health and safety of our diet.
By putting a little thought into adjusting your habits, you can avoid a lot of trouble and make your time in the kitchen more relaxing and enjoyable.
Tomorrow, we will continue to share more down-to-earth life wisdom.
