Kitchen hacks for mashed potatoes and rust removal

New culinary and cleaning methods utilize common kitchen items for efficiency and maintenance. One method involves using an Instant Pot to prepare mashed potatoes, which requires approximately 40 minutes total with 8 minutes of pressure cooking. This approach allows for hands-off cooking and the ability to keep potatoes warm for up to two hours. Additionally, homemade mashed potatoes can be frozen for up to three months.

For cookware maintenance, a combination of potato peels and bicarbonate of soda can be used to remove light surface rust from cast iron and carbon-steel items. The process works because potatoes contain oxalic acid, which reacts with iron oxide to loosen rust, while the bicarbonate of soda provides a gentle abrasive. This method is intended for light surface oxidation on structurally sound metal and is not recommended for non-stick, enamel, or mirror-polished stainless steel surfaces.