Save your tuna cans! OK, you don’t have to save all of them…just a few will do. Once you wash all the fishiness out with repeated washings in hot, soapy water (followed by thorough rinsing), this is what you can do with them…
Substitute Egg Poacher: Remove both ends of the tuna can. Put some water into a deep skillet, and turn the heat to medium-high. When the water starts to simmer, place the can in the skillet and then crack an egg into the can. Within no time, you’ll have a perfectly poached egg without the stray egg whites swimming around in the water.
Sandwich-Sized Biscuit: Did you run out of English muffins or bread? Don’t bother running to the store. Make a batch of biscuits (we like this recipe). When you roll out the dough, cut out your bigger biscuits with a clean tuna can. Since they’re bigger, you’ll need to bake for a full 15 minutes (keep an eye on them for browning). Biscuits keep well for up to three days. You can’t beat freshly baked!
Mini quiches or mac n’ cheese for two. Butter the insides of your tuna can, and get ready to make cute little servings. For quiches, you can roll out your crust and use the tuna ring (without the bottom) to cut out your dough and fill with your favorite small-batch quiche recipe. Use tuna cans with the bottoms on for mac n’ cheese—and keep an eye on them in the oven. It’ll take less time to brown than a full-size recipe.
Perfect Potato Pancakes or Blinis. Place your tuna can rings on your griddle or skillet, and fill to the sides with your batter. Let the batter set for two or three minutes, remove the mold and flip the cake. Your perfect circles are caviar-ready!
Seed Starter. Don’t bother buying a special planter for starting herbs or flowers. Carefully poke holes in the bottom of your tuna cans to allow for proper drainage. An easy way to do this is to lightly hammer a brad nail (the thin kind you use to hang frames) three or four times in the can bottom. Fill three-quarters with potting soil and plant your seeds. This is great for herbs or small crops for your outdoor planters. Label each can before you plant for easy identification.
More great ways to reuse and save money…
- 22 Ways to Fix and Clean with Everyday Household Items
- 15 Clever Cures and Fix-It Tricks from Japan
- 12 Ways to Live Green and Save Money
