It's the simple things

[HeyWayne]

MotherWayne isn't known for her cooking talents - bless her, but the other day I went round and she was cooking a chilli for my sister and her fiance'.

Anyhoo - I said I'd help for a few minutes before I headed off, so stirred the mince. At the stage where one would add an OXO cube I asked where they were and MotherWayne pointed to the shelf. I plucked an OXO cube from the box and MotherWayne asked - "do you crumble before you open?"

Genius!!

All the time I've been opening the little foil cube and then crumbling, when in fact the best thing to do is crumble in the foil, and then open and sprinkle!!

No more OXO granules stuck between fingers.

No more exploding OXO cubes.

Thanks MotherWayne.

Did anyone else know this?

[shirlthegirl43]

Cool tip, thanks for passing that on HeyWayne. I actually love the way they crumble between the palms but it is not always convenient to wash your hands straight after the crumbling is it. I will try crumbling before opening next time.

[scarey55]

No, I didn't but... BRILLIANT!!

As you said, it's the simple things. Thank you MotherWayne.

[FionaH]

Inspired!!!

[SarzWix]

Umm, yeah, I always do that. Makes it easier to only use half a cube and wrap the rest back up too. (Although I'm probably the only skinflint to want to use half a cube )

[lainey lou]

I've been crumbling before I open for years! My Mum gave me the tip years ago, apparently it was in "Womans own" or something!

[Two_Sheds]

I crumble before opening too. Seemed obvious ...

... however, I did not know that you could cook chicken thighs in a stew and then take the meat off. I spent best part of an hour trying to strip off chicken meat from the bones with scissors until I was told different (I'm a veggie, what do I know?)

[di]

You mean you don't make your own stock???

[HeyWayne]

What can I say, I'm a victim of advertising. They always showed the OXO cube being opened and then crumbled.

I always clean half my pennies in Cilit Bang too.

[Alison]

I don't crumble, just lob then in whole and they disolve in the hot water in a couple of minutes. Even less effort!

[HayleyB]

I'm a Knorr convert but that is a brilliant tip, no more stinky fingers..... Cheers Mummywayne

[HeyWayne]

I'm not talking about using it as a stock - just when you crumble the cube into browned mince when making a bolognese, or chilli, or cottage pie etc.

To which I also add a good slug of Hendersons Relish, gives the meat an additional dimension.

[HayleyB]

Not just a stock........ Knorr stock...

Anyway I use it crumbled as a thickener for sauaces if I can't be bovvered with corn flower

[murphy99]

why does it need the cube in the first place...

[HeyWayne]

why does it need the cube in the first place...

Because it'd be a bit daft calling it an OXO cube if it was ball shaped.