Join the Fun!

davy_jones_locket , Klaus Nielsen Report

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips I add pureed or shredded carrots to my tomato sauce. It really cuts the acidity without the extra added sugar. Everyone always raves about my pasta sauce.

Final score:

133points

POST

C.S. E. 1 year ago

To be fair, you ARE adding sugar; most of the sugars in carrots are sucrose, just like table sugar. You are, however, adding more fiber and another flavor profile which is really what's helping. I suppose if you're going to add sugar, it should do some lifting other than sweetness.

116points

Smoked paprika

No_Watercress4607 Report

Final score:

131points

POST

Jo Davies 1 year ago

A 100 times yes. Smoked paprika and lemon juice are staples in my cooking.

47points

You don’t have to be a professional cook to make delicious food. However, we all would love to get some tips from real chefs on how to make our dishes more tasty. CNET asked chef instructor Kierin Baldwin to debunk some of the most popular kitchen and cooking hacks.

She says that using a wine bottle instead of a rolling pin is completely okay – you just have to make sure that the bottle is clean. The chef also confirms a cooking hack that’s been debated online and among cooking enthusiasts for some time. She says that some oil in pasta water really does prevent it from sticking together. You just have to make sure to put the oil in before adding the pasta.

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips I add a pinch of salt to hot chocolate, and people go crazy for it. But it's only hot cocoa mix, milk, and salt. The extra sodium doesn't make it salty at all. In fact, it somehow brings out more of the chocolate flavor.

ouTPhaze , Brigitte Tohm Report

Final score:

125points

POST

Stephanie Did It 1 year ago

Works for coffee too; ad a pinch to the grounds before brewing.

68points

MSG

And no, it’s not “bad” for you nor does it cause headaches. That was all a complete fabrication

ConBroMitch Report

Final score:

122points

POST

Snorky The Pig 1 year ago

"You don't need therapy, all you need is MSG." -Uncle Roger (if you know you know)

86points

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips Replace some of the liquid in your waffle batter with seltzer or another carbonated beverage, like ginger ale. It's the key to the fluffiest, airiest waffles ever.

Professor_Burnout , Pixabay Report

Final score:

105points

POST

WindySwede 1 year ago

Never tried, but still amazed over that the bubbles will stay in batter after the (light) mixing!

23points

One less popular hack Baldwin shares is cutting a pizza with scissors. This hack definitely sounds strange, but you just have to make sure that the scissors you use for slicing your pizza weren’t used to cut a kid’s school project with glitter glue.

As long as they’re clean and sufficiently long, it should be fine. Culinary scissors, of course, would be the ideal choice, but who has those just casually laying around the house?

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips Try adding a touch of horseradish to your mashed potatoes...especially garlic mashed potatoes. It's a game changer. It adds a ton of flavor without being too noticeable or overpowering.

melc40e454224 , Rachel Loughman Report

Final score:

99points

POST

WindySwede 1 year ago

Might try that. Other than that, really much butter, cream and a pinch of nutmeg. Also.

25points

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips If your homemade sauces or soups seem too thin or watery, try adding instant mashed potatoes as a thickener. Since I learned this trick, I've started keeping a box around for lazy days or emergencies. They're a lifesaver when you've added too much liquid to soup.

PeachasaurusWrex , Pixabay Report

Final score:

98points

POST

Donkeywheel 1 year ago (edited)

Or cornflour if you want a flavorless option to preserve the taste of the soup.

48points

helenfeller , Shardar Tarikul Islam Report

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips Add a little bit of soy sauce to your tuna or chicken salad. It gives it that extra salty tanginess. I worked at Jimmy John's for a while, and that was their secret. I've been making mine this way for 10 years now, and I could never go back.

Final score:

96points

POST

R Dennis 1 year ago

I like good balsamic vinegar on mine.

41points

Another hack you might have heard about is using dental floss to slice soft baked goods or cheese. It doesn’t add the pressure that using a knife would and results in a clean and sleek cut. One thing to remember is that the floss should be without flavor. You certainly wouldn’t want your cinnamon rolls to taste of mint, would you?

#10

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips Garlic. Lots of garlic, recipes always say to use little garlic. And i mean the real deal, not the garbage they sell in those jars.

MyAnusBleeding , Isabella Mendes Report

Final score:

94points

POST

Ace 1 year ago (edited)

Once you get into 'loads of garlic' territory you've developed a tolerance for it, so you need more and more to get the same effect, which can then totally overpower other more subtle ingredients. I like garlic but in most cases if I can actively taste it it means there's too much, just like salt or sugar, or vinegar etc. etc. Try cooking without it for a while and try to enhance other flavours instead, you may be pleasantly surprised.

29points

#11

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips Most people use overripe bananas for banana bread, but I have another great trick. I freeze the overripe bananas first, then I thaw them when it's time to bake. Freezing them first somehow makes them taste even sweeter.

ncgirl105 , Craig Dennis Report

Final score:

88points

POST

Nerenahd Dhaneren 1 year ago

OMG Totally. I do it with my kids ALL THE TIME. When they're misbehaving I throw them in the freezer for a couple of hours and when I pick them up... Well, definitely sweeter.

136points

#12

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips Anchovy. Works wonders in pasta sauces and all kinds of dressings. I used to fear funk and now I embrace it.

noworryhatebombstill , alleksana Report

Final score:

88points

POST

WindySwede 1 year ago

In cooking I usually just add some fish sauce, Kikkoman soy sauce and chicken broth. If suitable.

29points

From watching Gordon Ramsay, I first learned that freezing mozzarella makes it easier to grate it. What I did not know was that the same can be applied to ginger. When I was in my Asian cuisine phase, I learned that ginger can be quite difficult to dice or grate. Baldwin advises to freeze it prior to grating. That way you can even skip peeling it.

#13

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips Acids. Started when I was making a sauce that just...it needed something. I added a squeeze of lemon, even though it seemed odd, and it was magic.

Another is shallots. I had thought they were the same as onions. Then I had a recipe for saltimbocca from Maggiano's and the sauce was shallot based. Oh. My. God. They're one of my favorite ingredients to cook with.

sweetmercy , Pixabay Report

Final score:

84points

POST

🇺🇦 PrincessPatton 🇺🇦 1 year ago

For dark sauces, broths, gravies, soups... use balsamic vinegar. Choose good quality ones, these have umami and other flavour layers in addition to the right level of acidity. A few drops are enough to enhance the flavour, so even a small bottle will last a long time.

29points

#14

Chives in eggs

Overlandtraveler Report

Final score:

82points

POST

Groaver Andout 1 year ago

Definitely!

12points

ItsF**kingRaw_ComeOn Report

#15

Adding almond extract to baked goods that have vanilla extract. I usually double the vanilla and then add a capful of almond extract. Gives cakes and cookies that bakery taste.

Final score:

79points

POST

Headless Horseman 1 year ago

I like rum extract for this reason, too!

22points

Refinery29 also has some one-ingredient cooking hacks. They recommend putting some miso paste in your baked sweet potato. Depending on what kind of miso you use – white, yellow or red – the taste of the filling will be progressively intense accordingly. Miso paste has the combination of all five basic tastes: sweet, sour, umami, salty, and bitter. It’s guaranteed to elevate your simple baked potato to new heights.

#16

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips Fish sauce. Used properly, it doesn’t make anything taste like fish, and it’s a huge flavour boost in almost any kind of cuisine.

I use it in almost anything savoury I make.

cgg419 , wikipedia.org Report

Final score:

74points

POST

Donkeywheel 1 year ago

Vietnamese nuoc mam is the best.

15points

PuzzleheadedLet382 Report

#17

Basil can do a lot of heavy lifting in a dish and isn’t easily replaced, flavor-wise.

Final score:

73points

POST

WindySwede 1 year ago

Basil: "Listen, don't mention the war! I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it alright."

45points

#18

Cardamon. Add it to any dish that uses ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves to round out the flavor. It makes snickerdoodles taste elegant.

LeoMarius Report

Final score:

67points

POST

Annik Perrot 1 year ago

Sorry, cardamom is to me what coriander is to some people. Just can't abide the taste.

24points

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

See Also on Bored Panda

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#29

Sumac. I love the ability to add an strong sour note without adding additional liquid like you get from citrus juice or vinegars.

[deleted] Report

Final score:

37points

POST

Shane Hussel 1 year ago

There is sumac other than the poison kind?

27points

#30

“It’s Life-Changing”: 30 People Share Their Genius Single-Ingredient Cooking Tips Sumac. Use it for fish

[deleted] , reddit.com Report

Final score:

35points

POST

WindySwede 1 year ago

Present in Worcester-sir-shire-ire-sause? (Don't know spelling,so making it obvious that I'm not trying...)

24points

Note: this post originally had 57 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

What are some of your single-ingredient cooking tips, pandas? Share them with us in the comments. And in the meanwhile, let’s go try out that garlic peeling hack. Just don’t forget to put the lid on, so the garlic doesn’t fly out and about across the kitchen.

Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

Read less »

Gabija is a photo editor at Bored Panda. Before joining the team, she achieved a Professional Bachelor degree in Photography and has been working as a freelance photographer since. She also has a special place in her heart for film photography, movies and nature.

Read less »

What do you think ?

POST

athornedrose 1 year ago

man i love cooking but i hate that any online discussion on food immediately becomes classist/ableist because people insist that using any kind of shortcut or processed product is "gross" or "fake" or "not really cooking". fresh ingredients and the time it takes to prepare and cook them are a luxury for healthy and/or wealthy people depending on the country you live in. the ability to use what you have and can afford to make something tasty is a fantastic skill to have. being up in arms about "real" food doesn't address cost, availability, training, or sometimes literal physical strength it can take to prepare a completely fresh ingredient meal. can't we just acknowledge that?

27points

Rachel R 1 year ago

Full agree, there are so many reasons one can want or need shortcuts when it comes to cooking, heck in Home Ec we even had a module that incorporated convenience foods into meals. And I know usually it's used in the BF/formula argument, but FED IS BEST. I love cooking, but as a single person without a dishwasher I'm not interested in doing both the cooking and cleaning for a fully from scratch meal every day.

12points

P La 1 year ago

I can't read it.

8points

Katrina M. Alecson 1 year ago

I thought I was the only one!

4points

James Pelley 1 year ago

Neither can I! This is getting ridiculous! Way too much of this in the past few days!?

1point

Min 1 year ago

Same old BP app fail

1point

DeoManus Argentem 1 year ago

I use 0% Greek yoghurt in place of sour cream in most dishes (tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, beef stroganoff, and spinach dip specifically off the top of my head). Tastes the same, if a little "lighter" (in a good way), and is far healthier!

3points

Marilyn Russell 1 year ago

Yes, you can and I have also, but sour cream still has its uses and isn’t terrible for you. Fat is not your enemy - it’s sugar.0

3points

WonderWoman 1 year ago

Most of these aren't life changing at all.

2points

Daniela Lavanza 1 year ago

#38 then #39...seriously? Doesn't BP team read up its own articles before posting them? This makes me think your lists are just made up of anything you come across, no coherence needed. So sad, you could easily do far better than that.

2points

fluffyacat 1 year ago

Come on! Get your sh1t together, Bored Panda. Half of these articles don't work

1point

Pepper Anne Spice 1 year ago

Article mentions using dental floss to slice baked goods; fishing line is also a great option.

0points

justinarnold 1 year ago

Why is this post blocked for Android users?

0points

Simona M. 1 year ago

A few new ideas, thank you.

0points

mysterious(all pronouns) 1 year ago

Add fresh chives to garlic butter, it's amazing.

0points

Marilyn Russell 1 year ago

Hmm. Good suggestion - I shall try that next spring when my garden full of chives I forget to use much is beckoning me. Maybe I’ll even make my own butter too for the occasion.

0points

Jessica Jones 1 year ago

When making boxed cake mixes, replace the oil with equal amount of butter and use an extra egg. It makes the cake richer and moister (is that a word?).

0points

Marilyn Russell 1 year ago

Look - I’ve studied the English language in university, have read much of the major classic works of literature, have done copy editing and worked as a photojournalist and a communist (okay autocorrect- that’s some funny stuff so I’m leaving it - but I meant columnist, of course), and I used to be a spelling Nazi, but I say, sometimes making up words that work is fine. Shakespeare did it. I always think of MacBeth - the multitudinous seas incarnadine…

1point

Falcon on Dizzy 1 year ago

add bacon

0points

Shane Hussel 1 year ago

I cancelled out the angry vegan for you.

0points

POST

athornedrose 1 year ago

27points

Rachel R 1 year ago

12points

P La 1 year ago

I can't read it.

8points

Katrina M. Alecson 1 year ago

I thought I was the only one!

4points

James Pelley 1 year ago

Neither can I! This is getting ridiculous! Way too much of this in the past few days!?

1point

Min 1 year ago

Same old BP app fail

1point

DeoManus Argentem 1 year ago

3points

Marilyn Russell 1 year ago

Yes, you can and I have also, but sour cream still has its uses and isn’t terrible for you. Fat is not your enemy - it’s sugar.0

3points

WonderWoman 1 year ago

Most of these aren't life changing at all.

2points

Daniela Lavanza 1 year ago

2points

fluffyacat 1 year ago

Come on! Get your sh1t together, Bored Panda. Half of these articles don't work

1point

Pepper Anne Spice 1 year ago

Article mentions using dental floss to slice baked goods; fishing line is also a great option.

0points

justinarnold 1 year ago

Why is this post blocked for Android users?

0points

Simona M. 1 year ago

A few new ideas, thank you.

0points

mysterious(all pronouns) 1 year ago

Add fresh chives to garlic butter, it's amazing.

0points

Marilyn Russell 1 year ago

Hmm. Good suggestion - I shall try that next spring when my garden full of chives I forget to use much is beckoning me. Maybe I’ll even make my own butter too for the occasion.

0points

Jessica Jones 1 year ago

When making boxed cake mixes, replace the oil with equal amount of butter and use an extra egg. It makes the cake richer and moister (is that a word?).

0points

Marilyn Russell 1 year ago

1point

Falcon on Dizzy 1 year ago

add bacon

0points

Shane Hussel 1 year ago

I cancelled out the angry vegan for you.

0points