Frugal Kitchen Tips and Tricks

Every time I walk into the cleaning or kitchen gadget aisle at the store, I can't help but get tempted to try some new product or gadget that in my mind will totally transform my kitchen, keep my food fresh longer or bring my cooking to another level. I admit that sometimes I do give in and purchase a bottle of a new "revolutionary cleaner" that in the end works just as well as something I had at home, but for the most part I try not to buy these items unless I am absolutely sure that what the product offers cannot be accomplished with a home remedy or something I already have. In that spirit, here are a few of my favorite frugal kitchen tips that I have picked up from friends and family over time.

To remove refrigerator odor, put a couple of cotton balls soaked in vanilla into a bowl and put it in the fridge.

Skip buying a fancy desert knife. Slice creamy desserts like cheesecake easily (and without the mess) by tightly holding a piece of dental floss and cutting through the dessert.

To keep the blades of your garbage disposal sharp and deodorize it at the same time, grind a chopped lemon and a tray of ice cubes into your disposal once a month.

Freshen your wooden salad bowls and cutting boards by sprinkling them with salt and then rubbing them with a lemon.

Avoid food stains on plastic containers from foods like spaghetti by spraying the container with cooking spray before you put it in. It also helps to make sure the container and the food are cool before you put the food in because plastic is porous when it is warm and is more likely to soak in the stain.

If you have a plastic container that is already stained, mix equal parts of warm water and white distilled vinegar and let the mixture sit for about thirty minutes before you rinse the container. I’ve also heard that rubbing the container with baking soda paste will also work.

I am sure that the special bags and containers that are said to keep your food fresher for longer work great, but they are also an investment. Placing an apple in with your bag of potatoes is said to keep potatoes from budding. Storing potatoes and onions together is not recommended because it will cause your potatoes to rot quickly. To keep green chilies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing. These are just a few tricks, you can find plenty more by searching online.

You don't need fancy soap to remove food stains. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

We all know that throwing leftovers or spoiled food out is a big waste. If you ever have left over liquids, try sticking it into an ice cube tray instead of throwing it out. Leftover wine can be frozen into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. Leftover coffee can be frozen into ice cubes and mixed with milk and sugar in blender to make a frozen treat another day. Along the same lines, frozen fruit juice ice cubes can be used to make a low fat smoothie or slushie for the kids.

These are only a few of my favorite frugal kitchen tricks. Let me know if you would like me to share more or if you have any kitchen tricks of your own. Please share with us!

Find more money-saving tips on CoolSavings.com.