There’s nothing worse than sweating over a hot stove in the middle of summer. It’s enough to make even the most health-conscious among us want to eat out every night.
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But instead of making your AC work overtime (and paying for it on your next electric bill), there are a few things you can do to help keep your kitchen cool during the summer.
- Prepare no-cook meals. Focus on preparing food that does not need to be cooked at all, like fresh salads and cold soups. Anything that can be eaten raw is fair game! Think outside the box with tender broccoli salads, cucumber and tomato salads, avocado sandwiches, etc.
- Batch cook in the early morning. When outside temperatures are still cool and fresh, whip up a batch of different ingredients to use later, like potatoes, rice or noodles. Then, when you’re ready to actually prepare a meal, you can pull out your pre-cooked ingredients and create the full ensemble without having to turn on the heat in the middle of the day.
- Use the right tools. Using a pressure cooker or microwave may produce a small amount of heat, but it’s still nothing like the heat generated by a gas or electric stove or an oven. Induction stoves are another useful way to cook without creating excess heat, provided you use the best induction cookware to properly absorb the heat.
- Heat smart. When you do need to use the stove, try to be as efficient as possible. Use the smallest pot possible and do not add extra liquid. Both of these cooking practices will reduce the amount of time it takes for the food to heat up. Do all of your chopping before turning on the burner, and turn off the burner a few minutes early while leaving the pot on it to allow the food to absorb the last of the heat without being overcooked. Finally, use lids to keep the heat and humidity under wraps! And if you need to use the oven, don’t open the door to peek; hot air escapes every time you do!
- Use a fan to keep air moving. Use a small fan to keep air circulating throughout the kitchen. The constant air movement will not only lower temperatures immediately around the stove and oven, but will also feel good on your skin! It’s a deceptively simple way to stay comfortable.
Have any other summer cooking tips to share? Let us in on your secret to staying cool in the kitchen in the comments below!
By: Cathy Habas
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