Vintage Cooking and Baking Hacks Every Grandmother Swears by

Peeling onions can be a painful and tearful experience, but it doesn’t have to be. According to grandma’s wisdom, if you peel your onions under running water, the fumes won’t reach your eyes and cause them to tear up. So next time you’re preparing onions, simply peel them under running water and watch as the tears stay at bay. But what about that lingering onion smell that can be hard to get rid of?

Learning how to make the perfect pie crust can elevate your baking skills to a whole new level. And with the 3-2-1 method, it’s never been easier! The secret to a perfect pie crust is in the right combination of these three ingredients. This simple technique passed down from generations of bakers requires 1 part water, 2 parts fat, and 3 parts flour. Before you know it, your pie crust will be delicious. 

Look no further because we’ve got a game-changing tip that’s been passed down for generations, serve rice with your gravy! After cooking your rice, you’ll have leftover water that’s infused with all the tasty starches from the grains. Instead of tossing it out, use it as a key ingredient in your gravy. The starches act as a natural thickener, giving your gravy the perfect consistency without any added flour or cornstarch.

Bacon lovers, listen up! You may think you know how to cook the perfect crispy bacon, but we’ve got a secret weapon that will take your breakfast game to the next level. And it’s a technique that’s been passed down from our beloved grandmas. Next time you make bacon, try sprinkling a little bit of flour onto it before cooking. This simple trick will change everything you thought you knew about cooking bacon.

Frosting a cake can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, but with grandma’s trick, it’s about to get a whole lot easier. As soon as you pull your cake out of the oven, sprinkle it lightly with flour. This will create a light barrier that will prevent your frosting from sticking to the cake’s crumbs, making it easier to spread and decorate. Once the cake has cooled down, you’ll be able to frost it easily.

Often times when cooking green beans, they turn from once-vibrant green veggies turn into a sad and brown mess on your plate. But we’ve got a secret tip from our grandmas that will keep your vegetables looking fresh and bright. The key is to cook your vegetables for as short a time as possible and to leave them uncovered. This allows the acids in the greens to remain stable and prevents them from turning brown. 

Have you ever needed just a tiny drop of lemon juice but didn’t want to waste a whole lemon for such a small amount? Well, now you don’t have to. Grandma’s trick is simple: prick the end of the lemon with a fork and squeeze out the amount you need. This way, the lemon is still ready to be sliced open and used again next time you need some lemon juice.

Are you tired of playing a guessing game with your frying pan? Are you unsure if it’s hot enough to start cooking your meal? Well, fear not! We have a foolproof hack that will save you from burning your fingers or undercooking your food. Instead of risking your hands, simply splash a few drops of water onto the pan. If it sizzles and dances, your pan is hot and ready to go.

There’s nothing worse than realizing you need to use butter in a recipe, but it’s still rock hard from being in the refrigerator. But don’t panic – grandma has a trick for that too! To quickly soften up your butter, all you need is a small bowl and some boiling water. Simply fill the bowl with boiling water and let it sit for a minute or two until the bowl itself is hot.

Are you in the mood for some delicious whipped cream but have run out of the real thing? Don’t worry because Grandma’s got you covered! All you need is a white of an egg and a slice of banana. Beat them together until they become stiff, and voila! There you have a tasty and healthy substitute for whipped cream that is just as tasty and satisfying as the real thing.

Do you dread cooking cabbage or ham because of the unbearable smell that fills your home? Well, you’re not alone! These two ingredients are notorious for their unpleasant odor while being cooked. But what if we told you that there’s a simple solution to this problem? All you need is a few teaspoons of vinegar! Adding this magical ingredient to your cooking pot can neutralize the smell of cabbage or ham, leaving your home smelling fresh and clean.

When baking sweet potatoes, so many times, they come out of the oven all dried up and lacking flavor. Well, we have the perfect solution to make your sweet potatoes extra delicious and moist! The secret? Rubbing a bit of butter or oil on your sweet potatoes before baking them! This simple step can make all the difference between a lackluster side dish and a flavorful and buttery delicious potato.

If you love cooking or baking, you know how important it is to use fresh ingredients. But what if we told you there’s an easy way to check whether or not your eggs have expired, and it’s something that grandmas have been doing for ages? It turns out that you don’t have to rely on the expiration date alone to determine the freshness of your eggs. Grandmas have a tried-and-tested method that involves a simple float test. 

We have a simple hack that will prevent those pesky boil-overs and save you time and effort cleaning up. The secret to perfect pasta every time is to add a tablespoon of oil to the water before boiling. This will help to prevent the water from boiling over and creating a mess on your stove. Plus, the oil will also keep your pasta from sticking together, ensuring that each strand is perfectly cooked and separated.

Cauliflower is a delicious and healthy vegetable that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. But if you’re someone who loves to cook, you may have noticed that boiling cauliflower can be a bit tricky. The florets often turn brown or gray, which can be a real turn-off when it comes to presentation. Thankfully, there’s a simple solution to this problem, and it involves adding a splash of lemon juice to the water while the cauliflower is cooking. 

Finding sprouted potatoes in your kitchen every time you buy them can feel like you’re wasting food and money. But we have the solution to all your potato problems! A few apples could be the answer to keeping your potatoes fresh and free from sprouts. Yes, you read that right! By simply placing a few apples in the same bowl as your potatoes, you can prevent them from sprouting and extend their shelf life.

We’ve all been there – you’re in the middle of baking and realize you’re missing a key ingredient. In this case, it’s sour milk. But don’t worry, grandma has a trick up her sleeve that will save the day! To make sour milk when you don’t have any on hand, you only need one cup of sweet milk and two tablespoons of vinegar. Mix the two and let it sit for a few minutes before adding it to your batter.

Who knew that a cracked egg could be salvaged? Thanks to Grandma’s wisdom, we now know there’s no need to waste a perfectly good egg just because it’s a little cracked. In fact, there’s a simple trick to boiling a cracked egg that will leave it just as delicious as its intact counterparts. All you need is some waxed paper. Simply wrap the cracked egg in waxed paper and drop it into your pot of boiling water. 

Peeling potatoes can be a chore, but luckily, grandma has a hack that will make the task much easier and less stressful. To make peeling potatoes a breeze, start by soaking them in salty cold water for a little while. This will help to loosen the skin and make it easier to remove. Additionally, before you start peeling, run your peeler under hot water for a few seconds to help it easily glide through the potato. 

Who doesn’t love a sweet, sugary doughnut? But sometimes, getting that perfect coating of sugar can be a challenge. Luckily, grandma has a hack that will make the process a breeze! To evenly distribute sugar onto your freshly fried doughnuts, simply shake them up in a brown paper bag with the sugar. This trick ensures that every inch of the doughnut is covered in delicious sugary goodness. But the best part? 

There’s something special about Grandma’s cookies; they always taste fresh and delicious, no matter when she baked them. But what’s her secret? We discovered that Grandma’s trick is simple yet effective. To keep her cookies tasting fresh, she wraps them in tissue paper and stores them in an airtight container. The tissue paper helps to absorb any excess moisture, which can make cookies go stale. Plus, the airtight container ensures that the cookies stay fresh for longer without drying out.

No one wants to eat stale bread or cake, but how can you avoid this? All you need is a damp cheesecloth and a heated oven. Simply wrap your dried-up cake or stale bread in the cheesecloth and place it in the oven for a couple of minutes. The moisture from the cheesecloth will seep into the baked good, giving it a fresh and moist taste. This simple hack gives your food a second life! 

Do you find yourself always following recipes to the T? Well, it’s time to break free from the rules and unleash your inner chef. Our grandmas were onto something when they told us to never follow the rules in cooking. Recipes are meant to guide you but should not be followed blindly. To take your cooking from good to great, you need to be willing to experiment and adjust as you go. 

Do you love the convenience of pre-made frozen cookie dough but hate the frustration of it crumbling apart when you try to slice it? Well, we have a simple solution that will make your cookie-making experience a breeze. All you need to do is let the frozen dough rest for around 30 minutes after taking it out of the freezer. This will allow the dough to soften slightly, making it much easier to slice without it crumbling apart.

Are you a fan of muffins but looking for a way to take them to the next level? We have a simple trick that will add a delicious nutty flavor to your muffins that everyone will love. All you need to do is drop a dollop of peanut butter into the muffin pans before pouring the batter over it. The peanut butter will melt and mix with the batter as the muffins bake, creating a deliciously nutty and rich flavor. 

Do you dread cooking with stinky foods like cabbage and fish because of the lingering smell? Sometimes your kitchen smells like the last meal you cooked, even long after it’s over, and you can’t get rid of the smell. Well, this tip from skilled grandmas will solve all your problems. Put a few cinnamon sticks in a pot with some water and let it boil. You can add some orange and lemon peels too!

Have you ever cut into perfectly baked cakes or pies, and the piece is uneven, and now the presentation is ruined? The solution to your problem lies in an unlikely household item. Reach for some unscented dental floss, and your cake-cutting experience will be hassle-free. Dental floss can be used to cut cakes and pies without leaving a crumbly mess. And who would have thought that our grandmas had been using this hack all along? 
 

The holiday season just isn’t complete without baking a batch of delicious gingerbread men. But if you’ve ever struggled to get that perfect, rich color for your dough, you’re not alone. Fortunately, Grandmas everywhere have a secret trick for making gingerbread dough that’s just the right shade. To make your gingerbread dough darker and more flavorful, simply add a teaspoon of melted chocolate to every cup of molasses. Give your dough an extra boost. 

Biting into cakes and breads with dry, shriveled-up raisins that taste like they’ve been sitting in your pantry for years is never fun. You can actually make your raisins plump, juicy, and full of flavor with a simple trick that our grandmas have been using for years. Before adding your raisins to your batter or dough, try soaking them in warm water for a few minutes. This will rehydrate them and make them juicier.

If you’re anything like our grandma’s, you can’t bear to see good food go to waste. That’s why we’re excited to share a hack that will save your unpopped popcorn kernels from the trash can and turn them into a delicious snack for your next movie night. Instead of throwing away those kernels that didn’t pop in your last batch of popcorn, simply soak them in water for a few hours.

Grandma’s cooking may hold the secret to immortality! That’s right if you only ate her food, she claims you could live up to 500 years without ever catching a cold. But how does she do it? It’s all in the fresh fruits and veggies, according to Grandma. She insists that buying produce without bruises is the key to keeping all the vital nutrients intact. You might think this is an old wives’ tale, but science backs up Grandma’s advice. 

Do you love the feeling of slicing into a block of cold cheese only to be disappointed by lumpy, uneven slices? We’ve got a hack that moms and grandmas alike swear by. All you need is some hot water and a few seconds of patience. Before you start slicing, hold your knife under hot water for a few seconds. This will warm up the blade and make it easily glide through your cheese.

It might seem like every time you use flour, more of it goes to waste than actually in the thing you’re cooking or baking. It gets everywhere, but is there a hack to combat this? Instead of pouring a pile of flour onto something or in a bowl, fill up a salt shaker with some flour and use it to sprinkle just the right amount. How did we never think of this before?

There’s nothing like starting your day off with a plate of fluffy, delicious eggs, especially when Grandma makes them. But have you ever wondered how she makes them so light and fluffy every time? Well, wonder no more because we’ve got Grandma’s secret hack for making the fluffiest eggs ever. All you need is some baking powder and a few eggs. For every four eggs you make, add a teaspoon of baking powder and beat it together before cooking. 

If you’re looking to take your dessert game to the next level, we’ve got a hack that will make you look like a master baker in no time. All you need is a chocolate bar and a vegetable peeler. Simply take your chocolate bar and use the vegetable peeler to shave some curls from it. These chocolate curls will add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any dessert, from cakes to cupcakes and beyond. 

Are you tired of buying fresh vegetables only to have them go bad within a few days? Well, we’ve got a hack straight from Grandma’s kitchen that will keep your veggies fresh for longer. All you need is some aluminum foil and your favorite vegetables, like broccoli and celery. Wash and dry your veggies thoroughly, then wrap them up tightly in aluminum foil. This will help seal the moisture and prevent them from drying out or going bad too quickly. 

Watery soup is never good and just doesn’t hit the spot. Well, we’ve got a simple trick that will transform your soup into a rich, flavorful masterpiece. All you need is a few tablespoons of plain oatmeal. Just add the oatmeal to your pot of soup and watch as it magically thickens up the broth, creating a deliciously rich and satisfying texture. Not only does this hack make your soup taste better, but it also adds some extra nutritional value!

When you’re cooking hotdogs or sausages, no one wants to end up with shriveled sausages that look inedible. But don’t worry because we have good news for you. Grandmas around the world have revealed the secret to perfectly cooked, plump sausages every time. Apparently, the trick is to boil them for a few minutes before pan-frying or grilling them. This will prevent them from shriveling up and losing their shape, and you will end up with juicy and delicious sausages that everyone will love. 

If you are a fan of lemon-flavored dishes, then you know how frustrating it is when you need to use a lot of lemons but end up with just a tiny amount of juice. But this hack will change your lemon-squeezing game forever. The secret is to roll the lemon to loosen up the fibers and extract more juice. You can even try running it under hot water or microwaving it for a few seconds!

Time and time again, we accidentally make tomato sauces that are too acidic or too bland. Not anymore, thanks to these secret cooking tips from the best grandmas. They’ve shared that the best way to perfect your pasta sauce is with a tablespoon of brown sugar. This little ingredient works wonders in balancing out the acidity of the tomatoes and gives you a sauce that is perfectly sweet and tangy.