5 handy ice cube tray hacks

From storing herbs to freezing coffee, we have some life-changing tricks for you. You can thank us later!

As the name suggests, ice cube trays are for making ice. Duh! But if you think outside the box, there is an abundance of possibilities with this regular kitchen appliance. From storing herbs to freezing coffee, here are five genius ice cube tray hacks compiled from The Indian Express. You can thank us later!

1. Herbs in olive oil

PHOTO: HEALTH UK

Freezing herbs can be life-changing. Harder ones such oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary or even curry leaves work best for this. Most herbs tend to dry up after a couple of days. So, rather than chucking them in the bin, it's best to chop them up and store them in ice cube trays with some olive oil. This will make cooking easier as all you'll need to do is throw a cube in the pan and you're good to go.

2. Fruit

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Some flavoured waters have added sweeteners which you're probably best staying away from. Therefore, cutting up your favourite fruit and freezing it will make for a much better addition to a glass of water.

3. Chicken stock

PHOTO: HEALTH MAG

If you have extra chicken stock, just pour a cup of it into the ice cube tray and put it in the freezer. You can use it the next time you are making soup or a bowl of good old noodles. The same works for vegetable stock.

4. Coffee

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After brewing your coffee, pour the leftover into one of these magical trays. The next time you want a nice, chilled glass of cold coffee, all you'll need to do is whip out a couple of coffee cubes and pour a glass of milk over. You can leave as is or blend until desired consistency.

5. Ginger and garlic

PHOTO: HEALTH MAGAZINE

Having pureed ginger and garlic at your fingertips saves a lot of precious time when you’re trying to get dinner on the table. Simply puree peeled, sliced ginger and whole peeled garlic with water until smooth, then freeze. Pop a frozen cube of garlic directly into a sauté pan with oil for your next recipe.

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