“Dill Pickle Juice”: 20 People Share Their ‘I’ll Never Tell’ Cooking Secrets

Baking is a science, but cooking is an art. A true culinary master can simply follow their instincts and whip up a delicious meal out of seemingly simple and underwhelming ingredients. But we can all manage to improve our skills in the kitchen, so if you’re interested in learning some cooking hacks, you’ve come to the right place.

Redditors have been revealing their best kept kitchen secrets, so we’ve gathered the most brilliant ones down below. From incorporating creative ingredients to going against the grain and making up their own cooking methods, enjoy reading through all of these unconventional tips. And be sure to upvote the suggestions that you can’t wait to experiment with while making dinner!

1,

That I have absolutely no idea what I did and can’t recreate it exactly if I tried.

2,

The secret : if someone makes something you love, don’t ask for the recipe, ask to make it with them one day. Sometimes the hidden secret is in how they make something, not the recipe itself.

3,

That’s one of my biggest peeves. I’m a fairly accomplished chef. It has paid my bills for the last 15 years. If someone asks me a question I will answer it honestly and try to give them good advice.

I’ve worked with chefs that will say s**t like, “if I told you, I’d have to k**l you.”

Yeah hilarious Matt, was it fennel or star anise you pedantic a*****e?

4,

Cinnamon and Nutmeg are often thought of as holiday spices, when used in conjunction and with sugar. But these are hardly their only uses. Both have very strong savory applications. I add some to chili and tomato sauces to add warmth and complexity. Nutmeg is my secret ingredient in any bechamel base.

Edit: it has become painfully aware that some of you snooty brats think nutmeg isn’t a secret to which I say, yeah it’s not really if you watch food Network on the regular. However there are some parts of the world where people never heard of adding it to their cheese sauce. And I come from those parts. Check yourself. Thank you in advance.

5,

I have no secrets. If anyone asks me how I make anything I’ll tell them exactly how I’m exhaustive detail it they’re willing to listen. Even my family’s most treasured recipes I will teach you how to make it

6,

One day I walked in on my boyfriend chopping onions to freeze. SITTING IN FRONT OF THE TV WITH A LITTLE WORKSTATION.

I don’t know why it never occured to me that you could sit down while doing repetitive prepping. Growing up I had only seen little old ladies do that and I guess I internalized that as a privilege to come with age ?

Anyways yeah. My secret is that I peeled these potatoes on the sofa and I think you can taste the extra layer of comfort. The potatoes peeled over a bowl in the sink taste like “I’ve been peeling for 10 lbs and my back hurts from the weird angle I’ve been holding my neck at while I dissociate in a room with zero entertainment “.

7,

I still cook with a lot of butter, lard, and bacon fat. Heavy cream, sour cream, or Greek yoghurt where it calls for milk in a lot of recipes or boxed mixes, like mac and cheese. I don’t cook with “low-fat” anything.