Our food prep guides get down into the nitty-gritty of make-ahead storage, kitchen prep tasks, meal planning, and just how to get dinner onto the table in time.

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Salmon on a foil-lined sheet tray.
Stop Overcooking Salmon—This Simple Restaurant Trick Solves the Problem
Traditional Thanksgiving dinner with roasted turkey stuffing mashed potatoes green beans and assorted side dishes and desserts
When to Start Cooking Every Thanksgiving Dish, According to a Pro Chef
A dish featuring shrimp diced bacon mushrooms and garnish over a creamy base served in a bowl
The Shrimp Shopping Secret Chefs Don't Want You to Miss
A close up shot of a sliced, pan-seared, butter-basted steak.
The One Ingredient You Should Never Throw Away
An assortment of sliced vegetables and opened cans of fish on a tray
Oil-Packed Tuna Is a Game-Changer—Here Are 6 Ways I Turn It Into Dinner
A closeup of crinklecut French fries
The Vintage Gadget I Didn't Expect to Love—That Makes Veggies Crunchy and Deliciously Dippable
Overhead view of oatmeal
5 Ways to Use Oats That Make Breakfast and Baking Better
Chopped vegetables sorted into small bowls placed on a marble surface
A Food Editor's Meal-Prep Shortcut for Stress-Free Meals All Week Long
Person deveining a prawn with a toothpick bowls with prawns visible in the background
You’ve Been Eating Shrimp Poop All Along—Here’s How to Prevent That
This 2-Minute Hot Dog Trick Will Make You a Cookout Star
A plate with a mixed greens salad fork placed beside red leaves and herbs visible
The Simple Pantry Fix That Makes Every Salad Taste Better
salted cucumbers
You’ve Been Using Cucumbers Wrong—This Chef Trick Keeps Them Crisp
A hand holding a clear squareshaped ice cube over a reflective surface
There's a Reason Bar Ice Looks Better Than Yours (And You Can Fix It)
A bowl of cheesy corn garnished with diced vegetables served alongside a cob of corn pickle slices and barbecue items
Stop Tossing Your Corn Cobs—You're Wasting Liquid Gold
A bowl filled with diced watermelon pieces
Stop Serving Soggy Watermelon—This Genius Trick Will Save Your Cookout
Blueberries and pitted cherries scattered on a white surface
Don’t Let Your Summer Fruit Turn to Mush—7 Tips to Freeze It the Right Way
Collage of a stand mixer and shredded chicken
The Easiest and Quickest Way to Shred Chicken
Orzo pasta salad with vegetables and chickpeas
Most Pasta Salad Is Bad—Here's How to Make It Great
A piece of medium-rare steak sliced into thin pieces on a wooden cutting board.
How to Most Effectively Tenderize Steak
Side view of caesar pasta
This Is the Most Overlooked Step in Every Recipe—and It Takes 5 Seconds
Ovehead view of steak test
The Science of Marinades
A bunch of peaches
The Foolproof Way to Ripen Peaches Every Time
Overhead view of washing strawberries
How to Clean Strawberries So They Last Longer
Overhead view of a cut avocado
How to Ripen and Store Avocados
Overhead view of cherries in a basket
How to Store Cherries So They Stay Fresh Longer
Overhead view of a wok station
How to Set Up a Wok Cooking Station
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Dry-Brining Is the Best Way to Brine Meat, Poultry, and More
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How to Clean, Trim, and Prepare Artichokes
Three towel-lined trays filled with freshly washed kale and lettuce.
How to Clean and Store Fresh Produce
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How to Buy, Prep, and Cut Green Beans
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How to Prepare and Store Ginger
Overhead of a restaurant-inspired kitchen prep station for vegetables.
How to Set Up a Prep Station Like a Pro Cook
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How to Wrap Your Sandwiches for Better Eating on the Go
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How to Prepare Salt-Packed Anchovies
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The Food Lab: How to Prepare Green Spring Produce
A Better Way to Skin Charred Peppers for Chilis, Soups, and Stews
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The Best Way to Prevent Cut Apples From Browning
Overhead view of cutting chicken cutlets
How to Cut Chicken Breasts Into Cutlets
Measuring spoons, measuring cups and a kitchen scale.
The Best and Most Accurate Way to Measure Wet and Dry Ingredients for Baking
How to Trim a Whole Beef Tenderloin for Roasting
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How to Dry-Age Duck at Home
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Save Your Vegetable Scraps, Make Stock
Four Pacific razor clams in their shells on a marble slab.
Pacific Razor Clams: How to Catch, Clean, and Cook Them
Thick slices of perfectly cooked roast turkey breast arranged on a white plate, along with stuffing and a radicchio salad.
The Right Way to Brine Turkey
The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Buying, Prepping, Cooking, and Carving Your Holiday Turkey
Guajillo chilies
What to Do With Dried Chiles: Recipes, Cooking Techniques, and Shopping Tips
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How to Blanch Almonds
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A Japanese Poultry Knife Butchers Chicken With Ease
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How to Clean Shiitake, Portobello, and Oyster Mushrooms | Knife Skills
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How to Trim Pork Spareribs Into a St. Louis-Style Cut
A mussel being opened by hand.
How to Clean and Debeard Mussels
A clip top jar full of homemade instant noodles. A pair of chopsticks lifts a bite from the jar.
Make Your Own Just-Add-Hot-Water Instant Noodles (and Make Your Coworkers Jealous) | The Food Lab
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How to Butcher a Chicken
For the Crispiest Chicken (and Turkey) Skin, Grab the Baking Powder
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The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Buying and Cooking Hams
The rich, water-repellent surface of a well-seasoned board.
How to Season and Maintain a Wooden Cutting Board
Peeling an apple with a Y-peeler
Why a Y-Peeler Is the Best Vegetable Peeler
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The 4 Knife Cuts Every Cook Should Know