Preparing a big dinner, especially if you’re in a rush, can be difficult enough – but having to peel a pile of fruits or vegetables just adds to the stress if there’s no one around to give you a hand.
Whether you’re a fan of using a knife or you prefer a peeler, there are some foods that are seriously stubborn when it comes to preparing, no matter how ripe they are. But peeling everything from egg shells to garlic or oranges doesn’t have to be a test of your patience because there are some handy tricks to make the whole job easier.
Here’s how to get the job done in record time!
While a boiled egg is a simple and delicious way to start the day, peeling them can be a pain in the behind when they’re fresh out of a boiling pot and still throwing off steam. Instead of having to sit by and patiently wait until they’ve cooled down, or worse yet, spend 10 minutes picking at the shell as it cracks into a thousand pieces, there is a far simpler way to get the job done.
A video published on Youtube by MicahMedia shows how to perfectly peel a boiled egg every time, without scolding your fingers. The video shows a man putting the freshly boiled egg into a glass, topping it up with cold water and then violently shaking it up and down for a few seconds.
When he’s done the shell slips off in one piece leaving the perfectly peeled egg in the cup.
Once you see how easy and mess free it can be to prepare an orange, you’ll never shove it aside “for later” again. All you need to do is slice both ends off the orange, and then make a cut vertically into the centre, through the skin.
After doing this, you’ll be able to open it up, and it will roll open to reveal its segments ready to be devoured as nature intended.
Another great trick is to cut a small part of the skin away, before using a spoon to run around the inside, breaking the skin away in one long piece, rather than dozens.
Peeling one potato is easy. But what happens when you have heaps to peel for a big batch cooking session? This simple tip will show you a speedy way to prepare them without using a peeler.
All you need to do is make a slit around the diameter of the potato before boiling it and this will loosen up the skin. As soon as you take the potatoes out of the hot water, dump them into ice cold water for a few seconds, and it will take you a second to remove the skin – often only needing your hands to do it.
Garlic is an important ingredient in many meals, but peeling it can be a smelly task – you end up with garlic all over your hands and it’s very fiddly. But it doesn’t have to be a chore. Simply take a jar and put a piece of garlic in. Start to shake the jar and see the outside skin fall off.
The cloves inside will be separated but you aren’t finished yet – keep shaking and the skins on the garlic cloves will slowly fall off as well and you’ll be left with nicely peeled little pieces, ready to cook!
Having a really tough skin means mangos can be tricky to peel at speed. But all you actually need is a strong glass.
Cut the fruit in half before positioning it over the edge of the glass. Slowly apply pressure so the mango moves down the side, leaving the inside in the middle of the glass.
The biggest trouble with pomegranates is separating the seeds inside from the main membrane, but this method is worth a try.
Cut the fruit in half before submerging it in a bowl of water, and slowly pull away the seeds. They should begin to sink to the bottom, while the main membrane floats, keeping it clean from any stray ones. If you’re struggling for time, simply turn it upside down and bash the top of the skin until the seeds fall out.
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