I recently discovered a super cool little product in the freezer section of the grocery store called Pop and Cook. I’ve actually only been able to find these at Wal-Mart, so that’s where I suggest you start looking for these precious little time savers.
These frozen little cubes – equivalent to one teaspoon of the herb, or one clove of garlic – can easily be popped into a soup, sauteed in a pan or even thawed in the microwave and added to a marinade without ever getting your knife out.
I recently used them to make my garlic and ginger sugar snap peas, but I love using them in variety of meals. Currently in my freezer are the basil, cilantro, ginger and garlic cubes. And here’s why I love them:
- I never forget the right ingredient
Sometimes, no matter how hard I plan our meals, I forget an ingredient. It usually falls under the category of fresh herbs, which are difficult to keep stocked in your pantry, unlike typical dry goods. By keeping my freezer stocked with these herb cubes, I never worry about forgetting my much needed ingredient.
- No more spoiled herbs
This is a huge one for me. I often by a bunch of basil for pasta night only to use a few leaves and the rest sits in my refrigerator for weeks, until it becomes a brown, crisp, flavorless herb. I hate wasting money like that. No matter how many Pop and Cook cubes I use, the rest will stay fresh in my freezer.
- Less time chopping
This is probably my most favorite aspect of the Pop and Cook cubes – they save me a ton of time. I no longer have to grate ginger, chop garlic or dig through my refrigerator for the cilantro. Now, I grab a tray from the freezer, pop a cube into my pan and that’s it. And you won’t miss a thing about the fresh variety – these cubes and chopped fresh and frozen immediately – so they are way better that dried herbs. You can’t beat the fragrance that will follow.
So, that’s why I love Pop and Cook cubes. What are some of your favorite kitchen hacks that save time?
