More than just something to quench our taste, water is a pure form of energy that can be put to many uses from washing to bathing, to cooking, and everything in between.
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But right now, our focus is going to be on using water for cooking in ways that can make that kitchen experience easier. While we won’t be able to exhaust water’s goodness, just listing some of them will do.
Making Soup Right
You’ve made soup, but it turns out that the consistency is better suited for a fork than your spoon. Don’t fret, this can happen to even the best of us. The good news is that it isn’t an unsalvagable situation.
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All you have to do is add a bit of water, stirring properly to ensure that the ingredients are evenly spread. This makes your soup lighter without altering the taste.
Saving Pasta Water for Sauce
Let’s talk pasta. When you cook pasta, the water gets all cloudy because of the starch content. Instead of throwing that water away, save some of it for your sauce. It’s a real thing.
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When you mix your sauce, add this starch water. It will help thicken your sauce and make it glue to your pasta better, making it more delicious.
Keeping Greens Green and Great
Have you ever cooked greens and it ends up like crunchy chips, instead of leaves? Here’s something you can do to keep it nice and tasty.
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If you notice that they start getting too dry as you cook, add a little water to the pan, like you’re watering the leaves. This helps them stay moist and retain their color.
Perfect Poached Eggs
Poaching eggs can seem harder than a science project. That’s especially when there are family and friends around who want to have some of it.
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But we’ve got a fail-proof tip up our sleeves. When the eggs have poached perfectly, put them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process immediately. When it’s time to eat, warm the eggs up in hot water and you’re good to go.
Pan Magic
So, you’re done cooking in your part but discover that the bottom parts are stuck to it. You think of scraping it off, but that’s the actual flavor of the food.
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Salvage this situation by pouring a little water into the bottom and waiting for it to soak after dishing your food from the pan. Then add it to the main food as a delicious sauce. Genius, right?
Save Salads in a Jiffy
Sometimes, your salad dressing develops a mind of its own and decides to go rogue. You know this when they stubbornly separate into oil and vinegar, daring you to do your worst.
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Stay ahead of your game by adding a little bit of water with a spoon and stirring very fast. Just like that, the salad will come back together and look smooth again. You win!
Baking With a Splash of Water
The best cookies and breads come out soft and chewy, not unbearably dry. So, before you start baking, take a pan, fill it with water, then put it at the bottom of the oven.
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Typically, the steam from the water will keep everything inside the oven moist. Your baked stuff would come out great after this.
Making Veggies Fresh Again
You know the story of veggies. They’re very fragile and can die easily. But when they start looking all wilted and dry, don’t give up on them. Wake them up with water.
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Simply fill a bowl with ice-cold water and put the leaves in it. In no time, they’ll wake up and be as good as new. Putting them in cold water makes them feel refreshed and this works with the speed of light.
Making Dressings Light
Salad dressings don’t need to be too thick. They should be more like liquid so they can easily mix with your salad. Now, when yours is thicker than you expect, what do you do?
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Add a little bit of water to it. It will thin it out, make it lighter, and spread round the whole salad easily.
Restoring Over-Cooked Veggies
If you’ve cooked veggies a little too much and they came out too soft and you didn’t know what to do, pay attention here. When it’s overcooked, put them in a bowl of very cold water with ice cubes.
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This is like pressing the ‘stop’ button to whatever effect the heat was having on it. This is a great trick to use when you’re making a salad or just want your veggies perfect.
Super Fluffy Rice
You don’t want to cook rice and it comes out all gummy and sticking together. So, the secret to fluffy rice like the type you get at the restaurant is water.
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You have to note the amount of water you put in it to cook as white rice and brown rice have different water requirements. You might want to start with a little water and then add to it gradually as the cooking progresses, giving it just the right amount it needs.
