The Amish community, with its deep-rooted traditions and emphasis on simplicity, has a plethora of kitchen wisdom to offer. Their tips are often centered around frugality, sustainability, and enhancing the natural flavors of food. Here are 25 Amish-inspired kitchen tips and tricks that focus on vegetarian and plant-based options:
- Homemade Broth: Save vegetable scraps like onion skins, carrot peels, and celery ends. Simmer them in water to create a flavorful broth for soups and stews.
- Natural Cleaners: Use white vinegar and baking soda as all-purpose kitchen cleaners. They’re effective, eco-friendly, and inexpensive.
- Cast Iron Care: Season your cast iron pans with vegetable oils like flaxseed oil. It creates a non-stick surface and prevents rust.
- Bulk Buying: Purchase grains, legumes, and dried fruits in bulk. Store them in airtight containers to save money and reduce packaging waste.
- Herb Preservation: Freeze fresh herbs in ice cube trays with water. When needed, simply pop out a cube and add it to your dish.
- Natural Food Coloring: Use beet juice for pink, turmeric for yellow, and spinach juice for green as natural food colorings.
- Homemade Applesauce: Don’t discard bruised apples. Cook them down with a bit of sugar and cinnamon to make homemade applesauce.
- Sourdough Starters: Maintain a sourdough starter for baking. It provides a unique flavor to bread and doesn’t require store-bought yeast.
- Soak Legumes: Always soak beans and lentils overnight. This reduces cooking time and makes them easier to digest.
- Grate Cold Butter: If a recipe calls for cold butter to be incorporated, such as in pastries, grate it for easier mixing.
- Storing Berries: To extend the life of fresh berries, soak them briefly in a vinegar-water solution, then dry and store. This kills mold spores.
- Potato Water: Don’t discard the water you boiled potatoes in. It’s rich in starch and can be used as a thickener for soups.
- Natural Pectin: If you’re making jam, use apple peels and cores as a natural source of pectin.
- Reuse Glass Jars: Save glass jars from store-bought items. They’re great for storing homemade sauces, pickles, and jams.
- Homemade Sauerkraut: Make sauerkraut using just cabbage and salt. It’s a probiotic-rich food and an Amish staple.
- Oven as a Dehydrator: Dry herbs or thinly sliced fruits in your oven on the lowest setting for a homemade dehydrator effect.
- Use Every Bit: When baking bread, use any leftover dough to make small rolls or breadsticks.
- Cold Water Test: To check if your syrup or candy has reached the soft-ball stage, drop a bit into cold water. If it forms a soft ball, it’s ready.
- Ripen Tomatoes: Store unripe tomatoes in a paper bag with an apple. The ethylene gas from the apple speeds up the ripening process.
- Storing Onions: Store onions in old pantyhose, tying a knot between each one. Hang in a cool, dry place. This maximizes airflow and longevity.
- Natural Ant Repellant: Sprinkle cucumber peels or slices in areas where ants are a problem. They dislike the scent and will stay away.
- Easy Peeling: To easily peel tomatoes or peaches, blanch them briefly in boiling water, then transfer to cold water. The skins will slip right off.
- Handmade Noodles: Make simple egg-free noodles with flour, water, and salt. Roll out thinly, cut, and let them air dry before cooking.
- Homemade Cider Vinegar: Use apple scraps and sugar to ferment your own cider vinegar. It’s excellent for dressings and marinades.
- Storing Greens: Store leafy greens like lettuce or spinach with a paper towel in the bag. The towel absorbs excess moisture and keeps them crisp.
By integrating these Amish kitchen practices into your daily routine, you’ll be making strides towards a more sustainable, efficient, and flavor-rich cooking experience. Their age-old wisdom underscores the beauty of simplicity and the bounties of nature, reminding us that sometimes, the best things are the ones we craft with our own hands.
