10 Strange Martha Stewart Cooking Techniques You’d Never Guess Actually Work
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When you think of Martha Stewart, a few things might come to mind: That means elegant tablescapes, a perfect roast turkey, maybe Snoop Dogg. Despite her polished veneer, however, there’s a treasure chest of unusual cooking techniques that even seasoned home cooks would be surprised by. Martha’s cooking has always been a high art and down home comfort dance, and her time in the kitchen has produced some very odd, but brilliant, ways to do things.
You’d think she just made up many of her tricks on the spot — until you try them for yourself. If you’re ready to change things up in the kitchen, grab a spatula and get to work on these strange but effective Martha Stewart techniques that actually do the job.
Get Fluffier Scrambled Eggs Using Ice Cubes
Martha Stewart swears by this quirky technique to make scrambled eggs light as air — you’d think ice cubes and eggs would be an odd pairing, but they work. Soon before the eggs set, she throws in an ice cube. The melting ice suddenly releases that burst of steam to make the pastry even fluffier and cloud like. It’s just a dash of water to a steaming iron — it just puffs everything up. It’s an odd step, but once you’ve tried it, you’ll never go back to plain old scrambled eggs again.
Keeping Cookies Soft: Bread in the Cookie Jar
Another surprising move that’s practical in its own way is Martha’s cookie jar trick. The way to keep your cookies from turning into bricks, is to place a slice of bread in the jar with your cookies. This bread soaks up the moisture in the air, so your cookies wouldn’t dry out. Anybody who loves chewy cookies but doesn’t want to make fresh batches every other day will love this.
Freezing Fresh Herbs in Olive Oil
Fresh herbs have a bad habit of wilting before you can use them. Martha’s solution? Freeze them in olive oil. Not only that, but it is a handy cooking hack as well. Imagine having a secret ingredient that, like a pre-seasoned cube of oil and herbs, you pull out of your pocket to start your dish. Freezing herbs like this preserves their aroma and flavor, making them almost as fresh as you picked them.
Adding Vinegar to Cake Batter
Have you ever had a cake that was so fluffy it nearly flew off the plate? It might be thanks to a splash of vinegar. It makes Martha’s cake batter just a dash richer as well and helps the rise and texture a little, so the cake seems almost ethereal, lighter. A small pocket of air forms when the vinegar kicks in by adding that very acidic punch to the baking soda. No, you won’t taste it — the magic happens in the background and you get the fluffiest cake you ever had.
Cooking Bacon in Water
Cooking bacon in a little bit of water is a Martha Stewart favorite, this one sounds downright absurd. The bacon renders (turns, essentially, into liquid fat) out much of the fat that would otherwise clog your arteries for the rest of your natural life and cooks more evenly, thanks to adding a little water to the pan. When the water evaporates the bacon crisps up perfectly and not too greasy.
Removing Excess Salt With a Potato
You have probably been there: you’ve cooked up a lovely soup, but it’s salty enough to make you wince. Martha’s clever kitchen trick? Add a whole peeled potato and let it simmer awhile. This saves the dish because the potato absorbs some of the excess salt and doesn’t dilute the flavor. Sometimes, the simplest ingredients can work wonders in surprising ways, and it’s a handy trick that’s saved many a dinner party.
Cooking Pasta in Little Water
Martha Stewart isn’t filling a huge pot of water for pasta, contrary to what most of us were taught. Instead, she just puts enough so the noodles are covered with starchy water, instead of just plain water. This water, in turn, thickens sauces wonderfully and adds a flavor to every bite. It’s a fast, efficient way to reduce waste and still come out with a richer, more cohesive pasta dish.
Zesting Citrus Over a Flame
This is a showstopper for the next time you’re zesting lemons or oranges. Martha sometimes zests over a small flame, sometimes lightly passing her citrus over it. It makes the fruit warm up and releases more of the essentials oils and makes the zest taste better. It’s a kind of ritual, but the payoff is worthwhile. You will have more zest and that zest will show up in unexpected ways when you put it on a dish that requires it.
Sprinkling Salt in Coffee
Adding salt to coffee seems like a practical joke, but it’s a trick Martha Stewart learned from sailors who needed to counteract the bitterness of coffee on long voyages. A little bit of salt can reduce the bitterness without adding any sugar, and makes for a surprisingly smooth cup of joe. A bit unconventional? Yes. However, if you’re tired of overly acidic, bitter coffee, this is a worthwhile experiment. The amount is small enough such that no one would suspect a thing.
Maximizing Juice From Lemons With Microwaving
Martha has a trick for when squeezing lemons often leaves you disappointed with the yield. You pop the lemons in the microwave for about 15 seconds and juice. The brief heat softens the lemon and makes it easier to squeeze, and you get a lot more juice. McCormick says microwaving can extract 15 to 20 percent more juice from limes, oranges and other citrus fruits, a trick just as useful for tangerines and lemons. It’s one of those simple ideas that you just wonder why you haven’t been doing it all along.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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