EIGHT QUICK KITCHEN HACKS

• To remove the stems and leaves from strawberries quickly, push a straw up through the berry starting at the bottom and going up towards the leaves in the center. The straw will core out the center for easy removal of the green stuff.
  
• Similarly, to remove the pits from cherries easily, take an empty bottle with an opening slightly smaller than the cherries. Turn the cherry upside down on the mouth of the bottle and push the pit out with a bamboo skewer or chopstick and it’ll fall into the bottle.
  
• Peeling garlic goes faster if you lightly crush each clove with the flat side of a large knife. Once you remove the skin you can finish mincing the clove with the same knife and fully smashing each of them.
  
• Keep your kale and spinach fresh in the fridge longer by adding a paper towel to their container. It’ll soak up any extra moisture and keep them from wilting.
  
  
• Use an egg slicer for things other than eggs. Mushrooms and kiwis are just a couple of things that cut up way faster using an egg slicer.
  
  
• Remove the seeds from a pumpkin or squash by using an ice cream scoop. It’s usually sharper than a spoon and able to hold more scraped seeds before needing to be emptied.
  
• To quickly separate egg whites from the yolks as you’re cooking them, crack the egg into a slotted spatula. The whites will fall through the slots into the pan and the yolk will stay on the spatula so you can use it in other applications.
  
• If you have fresh herbs you can’t use before they wilt, freeze them in ice cube trays filled with the herbs and olive oil. Then next time you’re starting to cook a dish, just grab a couple cubes from the freezer and you’ll have seasoning and herbs ready to go.