By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
Get your kitchen ready to take on the fun of summer with the help of these kitchen tools! Here are a few of our favorites we will be dusting off and putting to good use:
Reusable Straws
From bendy rubber to stainless steel we’re all about finding an environmentally friendly option when it comes to straws. They are an excellent option for the environment by producing less waste, easy to clean, portable, cost less on your wallet, and obviously are reusable. Straws are a great tool to have on hand (especially to push out the pit of cherries)!
Reusable Skewers
From roasting marshmallows to veggies, reusable skewers are great for your indoor and outdoor grilling needs. These are something we love having in our kitchen to not only reduce prep time from the traditional wood ones you need to pre-soak, but also contribute to overall less waste, and a fun cooking project!
Mason Jars
Something about drinking out of a mason jar screams summer to us. From using them to hold our morning iced coffee, mason jar lunch salad, any type of leftover that makes sense, summer table decor or holding a small summer floral arrangement these are on our list of summer time must haves. With so many uses we have at least a dozen on hand at all times, especially when they also make excellent gift holders of someone moving in across the street, getting over an illness, or ‘just because’ to fill with everything from a dry cookie mix to soup.
Citrus Squeezer
Ok, ok this one we love using year round but it comes in handy during the heat of summer when we need to add a little something fresh to our daily hydration routine. By squeezing in a lemon, lime, or clementine you get a sweet shot of citrus while continuing to stay hydrated. Citrus also adds a nice touch of acidity to meals to add a layer of flavor to help the dish balance out. Think about your favorite fatty fish or lemon butter pasta dish and how a squeeze of fresh lemon can brighten it up.
Melon Baller
This one is a fantastic time saver! Have you ever wanted to get perfect circles carved out from your melons to use in desserts, cocktails, or just because? This little tool is the answer. Whether you are trying to make eating fruit more fun for the kids, upping your hosting skills by having these float in a punchbowl or frozen in individual ice cubes, or even enjoying them frozen as a sweet treat, a melon baller comes in handy and we’ve got a refreshing spritzer to kick off the rising temperatures in style.
Melon Mint Spritzer
What You Need
1 Aha water
1 small Cantaloupe Melon, 1/2 c. balled
1 small Honeydew Melon, 1/2 c. balled
1 pkg. Mint
Optional: sparkling wine of choice (we recommend: Santa Margherita Prosecco)
How It’s Made
1. Use a melon baller to hull out melons
2. Freeze balls to use as ice cubes
3. Pour in sparkling water (and optional alcohol) equal parts
4. Garnish with mint leaf and enjoy
