TikTok Food Hacks: Restaurant-Style Pancakes, Okra Water And Coffee Ice
Whether you want to amp up your cooking skills or optimize your kitchen space, #BlackTok has answers. Black creators across the country share their daily knowledge and hacks on TikTok, providing tips and tricks.
Check out some of the hacks that caught our attention.
The Best Way to Store Bacon
If you never finish a pack of bacon in one sitting, this trick from @cleanfoodiecravings may be worth a try. She starts by lying a full package of bacon down on a piece of parchment paper, separating the strips about a half-inch apart. She then covers them in another sheet of parchment paper, rolls them up, and cuts through the space between each piece. This way, you have individual strips of bacon that you can store in a bag and keep frozen until you are ready to cook again.
Say Goodbye to Watery Iced Coffee
On a hot summer day, you may want to start your morning with a refreshing iced coffee to be disappointed when all the ice melts and your java turns watery. This simple trick is great for keeping signature drinks tasting flavorful for longer.
Pour chilled black coffee into an ice cube tray, customizing it to your liking with any syrups or sweet drizzles. Then, freeze overnight to have coffee ice cubes ready in the morning. This way, when the ice melts, all you'll have is more coffee!
Oh-My-Okra
Okra water has blown up on #BlackTok in the last two years, not only for being a southern staple but also for its suggested health aid. Okra water can be made simply by slicing the fruit—yes, it's a fruit—and soaking it in water for 8-24 hours. Users claim it has health benefits.
However, according to Healthline, the specific benefits of okra water still need more research. Still okra has nutritional attributes as it contains vitamin C and manganese.
- advertisement
Perfect Pancakes
After taking a trip to Denny's, this TikTok user was determined to find out what made their pancakes so tasty.
The secret ingredient? Cake mix! Using equal parts of the original pancake and yellow cake mix, you can make those fluffy, restaurant-style pancakes that may end up being your new household specialty.
Never Overboil Again
You put a pot of water on the stove. You walk away to write a quick email or catch 15 minutes of your favorite show, and before you know it, your water boils over.
This TikTok creator says that you can avoid overboiling your water just by leaving a thick wooden spoon on top of your pot. One user commented, "literally saw this as I'm boiling spaghetti and it worked."
According to Southern Living, the science behind this hack is simple. "Firstly, the wood acts as a water repellant on the already-unstable bubbles. As a result, it causes them to destabilize and stop rising. Secondly, the spoon is at a cooler temperature than the water and bubbles, so when the bubbles meet the spoon, the steam condenses back into the water." #KnowledgeIsPower.
No More Mushy Berries
In a quick 13-second video, this user shares how one simple trick can save your berries. Remove all of your fruit from their plastic containers, wash them, and pat them dry with a paper towel. Then, the key to this trick: place your berries in airtight containers. Whether they are mason jars or rubber-sealed containers, limiting the berries' exposure to oxygen ripens them slower and helps your berries last longer in the fridge.
- advertisement