1. Keep bananas ripe for longer…
Give bananas a longer life by wrapping the stalk ends (as a bunch is fine, individual is better) with clingfilm – this will stop ethylene gasses being released from the stems, which ripens the fruit too quickly.
2. Easy peel shallots…
Peeling small shallots is fiddly. Instead, put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10sec, and then lift out. The skins should peel off much more easily.
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3. Dry your own herbs…
Did you know you can dry herbs in the microwave to make them last much longer – parsley and rosemary work particularly well. Pick the leaves off the stems and spread on a microwave-safe plate lined with kitchen paper. Cover with another layer of kitchen paper and microwave on full power (800W) until crisp: about 1min followed by a few 20sec bursts for woody herbs, or 40sec followed by a few 20sec bursts for delicate herbs. Store dried herbs in an airtight container as they are, or grind them, and then store.
4. Make a sauce in seconds…
Making a béchamel isn’t too tricky, but sometimes time (or inclination!) gets in the way. Reach for the full-fat cream cheese instead. Add straight to the pan, thin to desired consistency with water and flavour with mustard, herbs or grated cheese.
5. Impress with grapes…
Not only do frozen grapes make an easy healthy snack, but they’re also ideal dropped into a glass of wine to chill it without diluting.
All of the above have been Tried & Tested by the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team. For all of our tested recipes, visit our food pages.
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An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
