Kitchen hacks you’ll wish you knew sooner

These quick and clever kitchen hacks will change how you cook for the better.

To keep cookies and other baked goods soft after baking, add a slice of store-bought white bread to an airtight container. Your cakes, cookies, and muffins will keep their day-one softness. Friends and family will think they’re fresh!

Craving those scratch-made potato wedges from your favorite restaurant? The answer is waiting in your kitchen drawer. Cut one end of the potato for stability then push an apple slicer through. Add your fave seasonings. Bonus: You can try it with sweet potatoes, too.

Want garden-fresh flavour year-round? Freeze farmers market vegetables in resealable bags during peak season. A classic soup starter called a mirepoix is made by combining 2/3 onion with 1/3 carrot and celery. This aromatic blend will give you a sweet, hearty flavour to kickstart soups and broths. Vegetables will last eight to 12 months so you can enjoy the tastes of summer when gloomy, cold weather hits.

Discover 10 foods you had no idea you could freeze. 

Sheet pans: They’re not just for dinner anymore! Use your trusty baking sheet to stay organised while you meal prep. Keeping ingredients in one place helps you stay efficient and expedites cleanup, too.

Become an upcycling master! Egg cartons are ideal for freezing small portions of homemade sauce. (Especially when you need to use your ice trays for, well, ice.) Cover and freeze leftover sauce and transfer cubes to a resealable freezer bag. To use, thaw cubes in your fridge for two hours.

Have a group coming over but only one bottle of rosé in the fridge? Offer up some variety by turning wine into a fun, fizzy spritzer cocktail. Simply pour wine over ice and top with sparkling water. Red and white wine work well. Add fresh fruit as a garnish if you’re feeling fancy.

Need an extra hand? Professional chefs will tell you that a damp dishtowel under your mixing bowl will keep it from slipping and sliding on your counter as you mix. This tip works well with a cutting board too.

Fact: No one likes lukewarm bubbly. Find a tall pitcher about the height of your wine bottle and get cooling. Immerse the bottle in ice water with a small handful of salt and turn every few minutes or so. Your booze will chill in 20 minutes (or less!).

Bubble wrap is a powerful insulator. While on the road, keep your ice cream from melting by wrapping the pint in plastic bubble wrap. It’ll stay firm for hours.