6 Kitchen Hacks I Didn’t Know I Needed Until I Tried Them

Who doesnt love a good kitchen hack? We all enjoy a good trick to make our time in the kitchen a little bit easier and quicker or even to help us make a tastier dish.

Today, Ive collected a few useful hacks that I didnt know I needed until I tried them but theyve definitely made my life in the kitchen much simpler. So whether youre a seasoned pro in the kitchen or youre beginner whos just getting started, Im sure you can find something in this list to make your time in the kitchen a bit more enjoyable.

Keep reading for my 6 favorite kitchen tips that I use in my day-to-day life.

1. Make Your Bananas Last Longer

Bananas are one of those fruits that always seem to go bad before you can eat them all. And sure, you can use your old bananas for banana bread, but who really has time for that? Certainly not me!

But there is a simple kitchen hack you can use to keep your bananas fresh longer: just wrap a bit of plastic wrap around the stems. The wrap will prevent oxygen from reaching the bananas, slowing down the ripening process and keeping them from browning too quickly.

So next time you're at the store, pick up some plastic wrap along with your bananas, and your fruit will stay fresher for long enough for you to actually enjoy it no more morning heartbreaks when your breakfast snack has a nasty bruise.

2. Pre-Portion Your Smoothies

A smoothie a day keeps the doctor at bay or something like that. If you're looking to up your daily intake of fruit and veggies, smoothies are a great way to do it, with the fun bonus of having endless options for combinations, including ones that hide the flavors of your least favorite healthy veggies.

But who has the time to chop up all those ingredients every morning? That's where this kitchen hack comes in handy. Instead of spending precious mornings cleaning and chopping up your fruits and veggies, do it in advance and portion them out in bags in the freezer about once a week or whatever fits into your schedule. Then, when you're ready to make your smoothie, just grab a bag (or two) along with your preferred milk or juice and blend away.

No muss, no fuss, and you'll get all the vital nutrients you need to power through your day.

3. Stop Stirring Tahini

Anyone who's ever made hummus knows that tahini takes a lot of stirring to mix. It's a tedious task, and after minutes of steady whisking, youre left with a messy counter and a dirty spoon. Enter innovative and convenient shake and squeeze bottles of tahini.

The design is genius: all you have to do is give the bottle a good shake, and the tahini becomes perfectly emulsified. No more arm cramps, lumps or watery tahini. It's a game-changer, and youll never go back to using jars. For the folks out there who make a batch of hummus part of their weekly routine, youre about to save a lot of time and energy.

4. Have Fresh Herbs Anytime

Have you ever gone to grab some fresh parsley for your dish only to find that your precious herb garden has wilted? Or worse, its entirely died because you neglected it for too long? It's a tragedy to be sure. But luckily, there's a solution: frozen herbs.

While its possible to chop up your own herbs before they go bad and freeze them with some olive oil, I have an even better answer. Try using flash frozen herbs to take all the work out of having fresh ingredients. With these, you can get the flavor and nutrition of fresh herbs with the ease of using dried herbs.

All you have to do is pop a pre-portioned cube out of the freezer tray and add it to your dish. No hassle, no mess and no more failed herb gardens. And best of all, no more relying on seasonal herbs for fresh flavor!

5. Use That Cooking Oil

This one may seem obvious, but I cannot stress enough how much time Ive saved on scrubbing dishes since I embraced cooking oil, especially in spray form. If youre letting the worry about those droplets getting all over the counter hold you back, its time to let that go and remember that youll have to wipe everything down when youre finished anyway.

So embrace the oil and try spraying your measuring spoons before scooping your butter so it slides out easily. Spray your cheese grater to keep the cheese from sticking. Spray down the insides of your containers before storing messy foods like beans and pasta sauce to make cleaning easier. You can thank me later.

6. Squeeze More Lemon Juice

Last but not least is one of my personal favorites not because its particularly clever or impressive, but because of the hilarious reactions it can get (and because I love lemons). Whether for some amazing homemade lemonade or for zesty cooking, sometimes youve got some lemons that need a squeezing.

To maximize the juice output while also reducing the amount of effort itll take to squeeze, do this: microwave the lemon for no more than 10 seconds, then use your palm to roll the lemon back and forth on the counter with just a bit of pressure. Youll be amazed at how much juice is really hiding in there.

Bonus: this works for other citrus fruits too. Try using it on blood oranges, grapefruits, limes and oranges.

So whether youve been cooking all your life or youre just getting your bearings in the kitchen, these hacks will make the time you spend in the kitchen easier and more productive. I challenge you to try at least one of them. After all, what have you got to lose? And if you love them as much as I do, be sure to share this post with your friends and family. Theyll thank you for it!