Keep Your Kebabs From Charring

If the ends of your wooden skewers burn on the grill, try this trick to keep them from ruining your summer fun. First, count out the wooden kebab skewers you’ll need and place them in a flat-bottomed pan large enough to hold them all, such as a casserole dish or roasting pan. Then, pour in enough water to completely cover the skewers. Getting your skewers wet helps prevent them from burning and splitting, and also makes them more pliable, so it’s easier to remove meat and vegetables once they’re cooked to perfection.

Let the sticks soak for a while — we recommend at least 30 minutes, though keeping them submerged for an hour or two is your best bet. Once they’re fully soaked, remove them from their bath and use as many as you need to get your cookout underway. If you have any extra skewers, pop them in the freezer for fast, easy use the next time you light up the grill.

More Ways To Save Your Kebabs

If planning ahead isn’t your strong suit, or if you grill kebabs often and don’t want to go to the trouble of soaking and storing wooden skewers, there’s another option: metal kebab skewers. These make grilling easy because they’re washable and reusable, ensuring you’ll always have them on hand. Not only that, but metal kebab skewers never burn, char, or split, so you can count on easy grilling every time.

However, if the carton is long gone, or if you have your own backyard chicken coop with no way of remembering how long you’ve had the eggs, you may be wondering if there’s a method for determining their freshness. Many home cooks have heard of the “float test,” in which an egg is placed in a glass of water to see if it sinks or floats. If an egg sinks, it’s considered fresh and safe to eat; if it floats, that suggests it’s past its prime.

But is this hack scientifically proven, or is it just an old wives’ tale? Let’s find out.

The Theory Behind the Egg Test

As an egg ages, it loses moisture — primarily from the egg whites — and air enters through the shell’s pores, filling the void and forming an air sac inside. This air sac makes the egg less dense, causing it to float in water.

While the float test can indicate an egg’s freshness, it doesn’t confirm whether it’s safe to eat. Eggs can be contaminated with salmonella, either when the bacteria pass through the shell or if they are present from formation due to an infected hen. And salmonella can lead to food poisoning if a compromised egg is consumed.

The best way to determine whether an egg has spoiled is by giving it a good sniff. You can do this while the egg is inside its shell or cracked open — if it has a sulfurous smell, or the yolk or whites look discolored (potentially with pink, green, or black spots), throw it away. The shell may also have cracks, sliminess, or a powdery residue, suggesting bacteria have gained a foothold.

Final Verdict

The egg float test is a somewhat reliable measure of an egg’s age, not its safety. In the U.S., commercially sold eggs are washed and sanitized, a process that removes the natural “bloom” or protective cuticle that seals the shells’ pores. Because this protective layer is gone, there’s a slight chance that even a relatively new egg, if stored in very dry conditions, might develop an enlarged air sac. However, it’s highly unlikely that an older egg would not develop an enlarged air sac, given how porous the shells are.

A fresh egg should have no noticeable smell — if you’re in the clear and want to gauge its quality, by all means, drop it in a glass of water to find out. Older eggs may have thinner whites, flatter yolks, and a slightly faded color. This doesn’t mean they’re spoiled, though; many home cooks actually prefer such eggs for hard-boiling. Their weakened membranes and higher pH levels make them easier to peel — perfect for making egg salad, deviled eggs, or a creamy potato salad.

How To Keep Produce Fresh

You can extend the freshness of your favorite fruits and vegetables by reaching for something you probably already have in your kitchen — a roll of paper towels. Just a few sheets are all you’ll need.

Start by making sure your refrigerator’s produce drawer is sparkling clean. Empty the drawer and remove it from the refrigerator for easier cleaning. Use a damp microfiber cloth or your vacuum’s crevice tool to get rid of any crumbs. Then fill a bucket with warm water and a few drops of liquid dish soap, and use a nonscratch scrub sponge to clean the drawer thoroughly, inside and out. Rinse the drawer with clean water and dry it completely using a clean microfiber cloth. To make sure there’s no remaining moisture, consider air drying it for a couple of hours.

Once the produce drawer is clean and dry, return it to the refrigerator and line it with a few paper towels; two to four sheets should suffice. You don’t need to create a cushiony bed for your produce, just a light, absorbent layer for it to rest on. Then, simply place your food on top and close the bin. That’s it!

Why Does It Work?

Fruits and vegetables frequently spoil in the fridge due to excess moisture. Plants are living things even after they’ve been plucked from their stems, vines, or branches, and they naturally release water as they progress through their life cycle. When we rest fruits and veggies on paper towels, the fibers slowly and steadily absorb that moisture, helping your produce stay fresh for longer.

Paper towels also provide better airflow than the plastic surface of a refrigerator’s produce drawer, helping to wick away excess moisture and prevent mold and bacteria growth.

We recommend swapping out the paper towels about once a week or whenever they become noticeably damp. If your produce drawer is filled with more delicate, highly perishable items, increase the frequency to every two or three days.

This hack isn’t a magic trick, but it can extend the shelf life of your produce by several days, or even a week or more.