Common kitchen mistakes most people don’t know they’re making
While it might be difficult to break free from the habits of a lifetime, when it comes to preparing, cooking and eating food, there are some things that are worth the change. These are the mealtime mistakes you’re making every day and how you can fix them.
In this Article
ToggleKeeping canned soup for too long
Many of us like to hoard canned soup in our cupboards for chilly evenings and sick days. But those tins of tomato, mushroom or chicken soup don’t stay fresh forever. They have a shelf life of up to five years but start to deteriorate after two.
Storing peanut butter the wrong way up
Holding proper Italian pizza by the crust
Throwing away stale bread
Pronouncing espresso wrong
Ever felt confused when deciding on your morning caffeine hit? Sometimes the trickiest bit is pronouncing your order. Crucially espresso is pronounced ess-press-oh, rather than ex-press-oh – as any Italian will quickly remind you.
Peeling ginger with a knife
Storing cheese in plastic wrap
Cooking steak from the fridge
It’s a mistake we all make, but something we can easily fix. Taking steak from the fridge and putting it straight in the pan places more risk on undercooked steak with a gray exterior. Instead, take your steak out of the fridge about an hour before cooking so it can come up to room temperature.
Using the wrong knife
Keeping mayonnaise too long
It’s easy to forget mayonnaise doesn’t have as long a shelf life as bottled goods such as ketchup or barbecue sauce. It can’t be stored for months and months like non-dairy products. The USDA recommends ditching it after two months. Meanwhile, homemade mayo’s shelf life is even less – more like one week.
Throwing away leftover dip
Leftover guacamole from last night’s chili? Don’t throw it away. You can easily freeze dips like guacamole and hummus in ice cube trays or a zip-lock bag, so they are ready to go when you need them (just don’t forget to take them out to defrost an hour or so before).
Storing milk and wine in the fridge door
Slicing off kiwi skin
Mashing the wrong type of potatoes
If you’ve been cooking any old potatoes to make into mash, you’re missing a trick. The key to great mash is floury, fluffy potatoes such as Russet or Yukon Gold, and definitely not waxy red or white ones. Then be gentle with the mashing – too much releases starch and makes it sticky.
Getting syrup stuck to spoons
Storing tomatoes in the fridge
Cold temperatures in the fridge cause damage to the membranes of tomatoes making them watery and less flavorful. The best place to keep tomatoes is on a counter or worktop.
Soaking wooden chopping boards
Keeping potatoes and onions together
Both potatoes and onions produce gases that cause the other to spoil so store them separately in a cool, dry, dark place. Brown paper bags are good storage options.
Leaving butter uncovered
Adding oil when you boil pasta
Some people think that olive oil stops pasta from sticking during the cooking process. However, it also stops the sauce from sticking to the pasta once it’s cooked, so it’s best not to use. Instead, stir the pot as it’s boiling and save a couple of spoonfuls of starchy pasta water to help bind your sauce.
Making soggy sandwiches
Eating mussels with a fork
Boiling water for coffee
There are a few hard-and-fast rules to follow when brewing coffee – and this is one. Most coffee beans react best to boiled water that has been allowed to cool for a minute or two (bring it to boil first to deal with hard water and impurities). Too-hot temperatures result in caffeine-rich and slightly bitter coffee, but too-cold temperatures mean brew time is longer.
Pre-cooking lasagna sheets
Letting sugar go hard
Putting the wrong sauce with your pasta
There’s more science than you might expect behind the perfect pasta and sauce pairings. Fettuccine needs an oily or buttery sauce to prevent it from sticking together, weighty pappardelle ribbons do better with a rich meat sauce and tortellini should actually be served in a broth.
Only seasoning at the end of cooking
Getting fish stuck to the pan
Whether you’re baking, barbecuing or frying, there’s a simple solution if you find your fish getting stuck. Rather than placing it directly on the pan or grill, cook it on a sheet of baking paper. It’ll still get perfectly crispy and you’ll be able to lift it off intact.
Putting potatoes in boiling water
Using a cold spoon for ice cream
Opening the oven door when baking
It’s natural to want to check on your cake but every time you pop the door open, the oven cools down and it takes time to get back up to temperature. It could also dent the success of your soufflé or bread rising properly.
Dipping the rice part of sushi in soy sauce
Overfilling the pan
The point of frying is to add flavor and texture to food by crisping it up through contact with the hot pan. Overfilling it with ingredients means some won’t touch the bottom and will steam instead.
Using blunt knives
Making flat burger patties
Serving dirty salad
We often unintentionally forget to wash fruit, vegetables and salad leaves. If it’s labeled as ready to eat, it’s usually fine, but it’s good practise to rinse to get rid of any dirt and pesticides, reducing the chances of getting ill.
Cooking meat without drying it
Struggling with avocado stones
Adding milk to scrambled eggs
There’s no need to add milk or cream to eggs when making scrambled eggs. Eggs and added liquid will separate during cooking to form wet, rubbery eggs rather than soft and fluffy ones. If you want to make the dish more indulgent, consider cooking them in a large knob of melted butter.
Mixing pancake batter too much
A big mistake with pancakes is stirring the batter too much. Ferociously whisking it develops gluten which produces tough and chewy pancakes. A few little lumps left is actually fine. You should stir until the wet and dry ingredients are just incorporated.
