mess free measuring

my two favorite tips for mess free measuring!

honey pouring into a bowl

I’ve had a very busy month in the kitchen so mess free measuring is on my mind!

One of the peskier tasks when cooking and baking is dealing with sticky or greasy ingredients. I don’t know about you, but I find it super annoying to try to neatly and cleanly get things like honey, shortening and peanut butter out of their respective measuring cups.

Which is why I’m delighted to be sharing these two small-but-big tips with you today!

Because I ALSO loathe washing said measuring cups when cleaning up. So here’s how I always prep when dealing with messier ingredients!

peanut butter in a gold measuring cup

When working with solid ingredients like shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar or tomato paste, I line the measuring cup with a piece of plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on all sides. I then fill as usual and invert the cup over my mixing bowl, removing the plastic wrap and leaving me with a clean cup!

peanut butter in a white bowl with gold measuring cup

As for sticky, liquid ingredients like molasses, honey and corn syrup, it’s non-stick cooking spray to the rescue!

bottle of honey with non-stick cooking spray and white bowls

Lightly spray your measuring cup and fill with your ingredient. It will pour out cleanly, leaving just a drop behind. This obviously doesn’t leave you with a clean measure but ensures that pretty much every bit of your ingredient will come out without having to fuss.

honey pouring into a bowl

honey in a white bowl

I call these tips “small-but-big” because when you cook and bake as much as I do, any “small” step that streamlines the process or makes clean up even a little easier is a “big” deal to me.

And speaking of tomato paste….

Is it me, or do recipes almost always call for less than a can of tomato paste? I discovered a while back that you can freeze tomato paste, and here’s how I do it:

Line a 1/4 cup measure with plastic wrap, leaving extra overlapping the sides. Pack the cup with your tomato paste and level it off.

tomato paste in a measuring cup

Fold the sides of the wrap into the center of the cup and put the whole thing in the freezer. When frozen, pop it out and put it in a ziploc bag. Label and date it if you like. Tomato paste defrosts quickly so you can take it out in the morning and it will be ready to use by dinnertime. Unwrap the paste while still frozen and defrost in a small dish in your fridge.

I freeze paste in 1/4 cup portions as that’s the amount I most commonly use. If you tend to use tablespoonfuls, freeze the paste in an ice cube tray instead (and remember, 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup).

Do you have any “small-but-big” tips that you swear by? Share ’em here!

Want more tips? Here are five faves!

A butter tip!

A tahini tip!

An almond butter tip!

A salmon tip!

A baking soda tip!

 

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10 Comments

  1. Tara on May 22, 2013 at 7:37 am

    Great tips! I freeze tomato paste in small ziplock baggies, but I flatten it first. It freezes in a thin sheet and you can easily break off however much you want, straight from the freezer. Tomato paste is one of those things that I don’t think you have to be too precise about. You must be more organized than I am, because I would *never* remember to take the tomato paste out of the freezer the night before. 🙂

    • sherisilver on May 22, 2013 at 7:38 am

      Confession? I don’t always remember….LOVE your tip so much! 🙂

  2. Lacy on May 22, 2013 at 10:28 am

    Good tips! Trader Joe’s sells tomato paste in a tube, fyi! Like toothpaste!

    • sherisilver on May 22, 2013 at 5:33 pm

      Shut up – really?? Thank you!

  3. Rebecca on May 22, 2013 at 12:01 pm

    perfecto! love these tips. xo

    • sherisilver on May 22, 2013 at 5:33 pm

      Ha! Yay! xo

  4. Rachel on February 18, 2022 at 9:42 pm

    Not really a tip, but a coffee scoop is equal to 2 tablespoons which is an eighth of a cup.

    • sherisilver on February 19, 2022 at 9:27 am

      This one is close to my heart! Years ago I somehow misplaced my coffee scoop. I literally had no idea how much “a scoop” was, and had to look it up. An eighth of a cup! I never forgot it! 🙂

  5. Israfil on April 28, 2023 at 5:01 am

    It is great tips! I freeze tomato paste in small ziplock baggies, but I flatten it first. It freezes in a thin sheet and you can easily break off however much you want, straight from the freezer.

    • sherisilver on April 28, 2023 at 7:57 am

      Thank you! I’ve done that with garlic but not tomato paste!

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Hi! I'm Sheri!

Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!