I bake a lot, so I love this tip.  When you are working with sticky substances such as shortening or peanut butter, don’t you hate how nasty the measuring cups are afterward?  There is typically a layer left behind, and that is no fun to clean.  Also, it can be hard to accurately add the correct amount of the substance when you’re fighting with it as you extract it from the measuring cup!

Here’s your quick solution:

Simply fill the measuring cup with hot water; let it sit for maybe 30 seconds or so; then add the shortening, peanut butter, etc.  The sticky substance will pop right out when you nudge it with a spoon, and clean-up is a breeze.  That’s it!  :)

Fill the measuring cup with hot water.  Pour it out after letting it sit for a short time.

Add the sticky substance like normal–here, I’m demonstrating with peanut butter.

I nudged the peanut butter with a spoon and it popped right out, with very minimal clean-up left behind!  If you let the water sit for a bit longer (maybe 60 seconds), you may minimize your clean-up even more.  I am just a very impatient person when it comes to things like this.  What can I say–I’m on a schedule, people!  :)  Naptime is only oh-so-long!

For more quick kitchen tips, check these out:  keep your knives sharp with this storage tip; see how easy it is to get more juice from your citrus fruits; use this trick so you never forget which bread plate or glass is yours again; save some calories when baking with this simple substitution; and learn to store sliced apples without them browning.

Don’t forget to check back next Friday for another quick tip or idea…

What quick kitchen tip can you share?