10 Tips That Blew Our Minds This Year

We’re always on the lookout for small tips that make a big impact in the kitchen, the ones that save us time and money, solve a common cooking problem, or — let’s be honest — are just really really awesome. The ingenious tips we couldn’t wait to share this year include a simple method for keeping guacamole green, a surprising way to cook perfect bacon on the stove, and a you-won’t-believe-it-until-you-try-it hack for using a mason jar on your blender.

• 1 The Best Way to Keep Guacamole Green
• 2 Weird Tip That Really Works: For Perfect Bacon, Add a Little Water to the Pan
• 3 The Mason Jar Blender Trick: Do You Know About This?
• 4 A Surefire Tip for Getting (Way!) More Juice From Lemons and Limes
• 5 Out of Fridge Space Before a Party? A Surprising Spot to Chill Your Drinks

The Sacrificial Slice: The Secret to a Perfect Piece of Pie

• 6 5 More Uses For Your French Press!
• 7 For Better Lemonade, Use a Pinch of Salt
• 8 Smart Tip: Get Corn Off the Cob Using a Bundt Pan
• 9 Kitchen Hack: The Fastest, Easiest Way to Slice a Bunch of Cherry Tomatoes
• 10 The Sacrificial Slice: The Secret to a Perfect Piece of Pie

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From December 21 through January 3 we are rounding up our favorite (and your favorite) posts from the past year. We’ll also share guest posts, special holiday features, and a sparkling Winter Glam Cocktail Party, the final installment in our
2013 Gatherings from The Kitchn
. Happy Holidays!