8 Life-Changing Cooking Tips We Found on Tiktok 

Tiktok has become the national pastime of the Philippines during the lockdown periods. The appeal of Tiktok is in its short video format—anywhere from 15 seconds to 3 minutes—and authenticity of content uploaded on the app. Generally speaking, more and more people prefer using Tiktok over other social media apps because of the relief and comfort they get from the relatable “Everyman” content they see.

Moving on from Facebook and Instagram, Filipinos have been enjoying more the diversity of entertaining and informational content from small content creators around the world. Everybody on the app has a thing to share to the world and every topic conceivable is discussed. One of the niches that attract more viewers than others is cooking tips or kitchen hacks as they call it.

As we are already avid users of the app, we went down the Kitchentok rabbit hole with pleasure and found 10 amazing cooking tips that we never learned from school or family and friends. In this article, we break down the most useful and practical tips that actually work (unlike those videos of 5-minute crafts you see on Facebook).  

8. How to peel a bell pepper by @wellbymel_

Did you know you can cut a bell pepper without having to spend extra seconds to scrape the seeds? This cooking tip doesn’t seem to have much of a wow factor. But it’s a technique that makes peeling a bell pepper seem more efficient and professionally done.

7. Stop a pot from boiling over with a wooden spoon by @sidneyraz

Wait…hold on. Can you actually believe there’s a way to stop a pot from boiling over by using a wooden spoon? Turns out, this kitchen essential can do much more than for stirring and tossing. If you place a wooden spoon on top of a boiling spot, it can actually make the froth subside and save you from cleaning the stovetop. Okay, that’s actually awesome!

6. How to peel a corn in 10 seconds by @jackwongfree4913

Filipinos love to eat corn on the cob and incorporate kernels into some traditional Filipino merienda staples like maja blanca and ginatang bilo bilo. Corn is obviously one of the tastiest carb sources out there and Filipinos never say no to carbs. However, peeling a corn can be a sweat-breaking task. Thanks to Tiktok, we already found the most efficient way ever to pluck the kernels from the cob. All you have to do is pierce the center of the cob with a large, sturdy scissors and split the core in half. That’s it! Now you can remove a handful of kernels at a time.

5. How to properly remove avocado seed by @_mynameischo

We can’t be the only ones struggling to remove avocado seed, so we made sure to add this tip to the list. This trick is simple and super easy to do. Cut the avocado in a way you’re slicing through the flesh and around the seed. Next, put your index finger and middle finger in between the pit. With your thumb pressing the back, the seed will pop right off. This one’s a gamechanger.

4. How to know if oil is hot…with a wooden spoon (again) by @rachaelray

The humble wooden spoon does have more use than you can imagine. This time, you can use wooden spoon to check if the oil is hot enough for deep fry. If bubbles form around when you submerge the tip, that’s when you know the oil is ready.

3. No-cry onion hack by @nicole_thenomad

Ah, the kitchen drama that happens when you cut an onion – “I’m not crying, you are!” Now there’s a wonderful solution to end this misery, and it works surprisingly well in real life. Apparently, the acid in onion is attracted to water sources and our tear ducts are exactly the first place it would go. Hence, placing a wet kitchen towel near the onions will soak up the tear-inducing acids. If you don’t have a really sharp knife for cutting onions, then this cooking tip will change your life.

2. How to make poached eggs by @victoriatschoppp

Do you love poached eggs in the morning? There are a lot of cooking tips out there involving a proper way to poach an egg. You can’t test out each one of them but we are here to tell you that we might just have found the simplest trick. Bring water to boil and put some vinegar. Next, crack an egg in a mug. Then, using a whisk, create a whirlpool in the pot and drop the contents of the mug inside. Let the egg cook for about 3 minutes before scooping it up. Break the white and you have a perfect poached egg.

1. How to keep fresh produce last longer by @shantilleyufit

Fresh produces are available in good quantities out there so it’s tempting to get them in large batches. Unfortunately, berries, used as an example here, can attract molds easily and spoil within a couple of days. Fortunately, there are few pantry staples that can help you with this problem. Soak your berries in water with cider vinegar for about 5-10 minutes. Drain the liquid and wash the berries again with just water. Line the bottom of a container with clean and dry paper towel to absorb the moisture. Store the berries in the container and have a peaceful sleep knowing you’ll have fresh snacks for days.