Save time, stay sane

Keep potatoes white

Cover shredded or diced potatoes with cold water before cooking to prevent the spuds from turning that gross greyish/brown caused by the release of a starch that makes them oxidize.

Slow down rotting

Store tomatoes stem end down to keep them from spoiling as quickly. This prevents air from entering and moisture from exiting the scar where the tomato once attached to the vine. Storing them at room temperature rather than in the fridge also makes them last longer.

Give bananas a longer life

Keep bananas fresher, longer by wrapping the end of the bunch with plastic wrap. Better yet, separate each banana. The plastic wrap blocks ethylene gases from releasing out of the stem, consequently ripening the fruit too fast

Speed up ripening

Be a total magician and morph a banana from green to yellow or a peach from crunchy to juicy all with the help of a paper bag. When fruit is tossed into the bag, concentrated ethylene gas helps it ripen faster.

Save cut fruit from browning

You've probably heard that a little squeeze of lemon juice can keep apple slices from looking unappetizing. A mixture of one part honey to two parts water works much the same to keep fruit from browning. The citric acid and vitamin C in lemon juice, as well as a peptide in honey, slows down the oxidation process that causes discolouring.

Prevent brown sugar from hardening

Help brown sugar stay soft and scoopable by tossing an orange peeler a slice of apple along with the sugar into an airtight container. For a quick fix, microwave brown sugar next to a small glass of water. The moisture within the microwave will help break up the block of sweetener.

Avoid plastic wrap disasters

Had enough of wrangling plastic wrap? Store the roll in the fridge to store leftovers with less of a hassle. Chilling the wrap makes it easier to transport it from the roll to your bowl.

Get creative with covering food

They're known for hair hackery, but shower caps are not limited to the bathroom. Cover leftovers with a fresh cap (right in their dishes) to keep bugs and unidentifiable particles from tainting food. They're reusable and a helluva lot easier than repeatedly removing and replacing plastic wrap or tin foil.

Check if eggs are still (incredibly) edible

Gently place raw eggs in a bowl of cold water to see if they've gone bad. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it's a-OK. If it floats, it has seen better days. Over time, the liquid inside eggs evaporates through the porous shell, leaving a gas bubble inside. The floatier it is, the older it is.

Soften butter in a flash

Keeping butter out on the counter for an hour isn't exactly ideal for a tight schedule. To speed up the process, grate it with a cheese grater or flatten it with a rolling pin (but put it in a plastic bag first) for spreadable, mixable butter in a pinch.