7 Cool Food Hacks That You Never Knew
Is there anything that food can’t do?! Besides literally giving us the nutrition we need to make it through the day, food can be a total lifesaver in a lot of other major ways. Try these awesome food hacks on everything from dirty laundry to unripe tomatoes and attempt fascinating experiments at the same time – all using food and drinks you probably already have in your kitchen!
1. Instantly Freeze Water
What's better than a glass of ice cold water on a hot summer day? Not much! And is there anything worse than coming home and opening the fridge only to find you forgot to put water in there? Thankfully, we've got just the thing for you: Put some ice cubes into a large bowl, place your water bottle in it, and cover it with ice cubes. Then sprinkle a handful of salt to cover the ice cubes and let everyone get to know each other for 15 minutes. Once you're done waiting, simply take your water bottle out and enjoy some ice cold water. The salt helps the ice melt without losing any of its coldness. That way, the icy temperature gets transferred straight to the water bottle.
2. Clean Jewelry
We all have that favorite piece of jewelry we wear day in and day out. But after a while, there's simply no escaping the dirt and grime that a well-worn ring tends to accumulate. That's no reason not to wear it anymore, though! Here's a hack that'll save your beloved jewelry from early retirement: Put it into a glass of Sprite and let it sit for a couple of hours. Afterwards, just dry it off with a clean towel or kitchen rag and delight in the beauty of your favorite ring. The carbon dioxide in the soda gets rid of all the dirt, so you can even use sparkling mineral water.
3. Remove Stubborn Grime
Pots can get pretty dirty pretty quickly, that's a given. Another given is that, usually, that dirt and grime is pretty hard to remove. But did you know that you don't have to scrub away for hours on end to get your pots looking 'so fresh and so clean?' The secret ingredient? Ketchup. That's right, just squeeze some ketchup onto a clean paper towel and rub it on the pot. Leave it for a few minutes and then get a new paper towel to wipe it off. As you're removing the ketchup, you're also getting rid of the grime. How cool is that?!
4. Ripen Tomatoes
If you bought unripe tomatoes and want them to ripen ASAP, simply put them in a container with a ripe banana and let them hang out for a day. And voila: You've got yourself beautiful, ripe tomatoes! And in case you were wondering what the science behind this is, the banana actually sends out hormones that activate the ripening process in the tomatoes.
5. Remove Wax From Fruit
Have you ever wondered why your apples look so boring and almost too perfect? Well, that's because of the natural wax that occurs on certain types of apples. Just rinsing them under the tap isn't enough to get rid of the wax, though. The best thing to do is pour hot water over your apples. The heat helps remove the wax. Afterwards, just dry them off and enjoy your gorgeous wax-free apples.
6. Fun With Coke
Did you know that Coke isn't just a delicious beverage, but that it also has properties that bind milk proteins? If you're wondering what this looks like IRL, just pour some milk into Coke and wait and see what happens – it's mesmerizing!
7. Fluffy Omelets
If you happen to STAN omelets and scrambled eggs, you've got to try this hack: Separate the egg white and yolk from two eggs, beat the egg whites until frothy, and then combine with the yolks. Pour the egg mixture into a pan, let it cook for 5 minutes, and get ready to enjoy the fluffiest eggs you've ever tasted!
Let's be real, these food hacks are kind of out there. How on earth do you come up with the idea of cleaning pots with ketchup, pouring milk into Coke, or dousing fruit in hot water? Wacky or not, these food hacks actually work! Just give 'em a try.