Soup’er Finds

I ♥ Cooking Gloves

The first time I saw a pair of these brightly colored gloves in action (outside of a medical office) was in my mom’s kitchen. She was standing over a cutting board, chopping onions, and telling me about the latest guest on Ellen. “What ARE you wearing?” I asked her in total dismay. “Gloves,” she answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “I hate the way onions make my hands smell.” Huh! As much as I love to cook, it had never dawned on me that there was an alternative to having hands that perpetually reeked of onions and garlic. That evening, I left with a pair of nitrile* gloves tucked in my purse, and now I’m never without at least one box stored in my kitchen.

In the years that I’ve been donning this ridiculous-looking kitchen attire, I’ve found many other helpful uses than that of odor control. When I’m peeling roasted beets, I wear them to keep my hands from being stained red. I also wear them when I’m kneading dough so that I don’t have to spend 20 minutes scrubbing my fingernails and rings. Nitrile gloves are also great for handling hot foods; I use them when I’m making homemade stock and I need to strip the meat from the bone, or when I’m rolling hot tortillas into enchiladas. Now that I have a toddler, I wear gloves when I’m handling chicken, fish, and other raw meats. This way, when she takes a header off the couch (which happens on a weekly basis), I’m able to strip them off and attend to her tears without having to worry about scrubbing down or spreading any food-borne bacteria. And ladies, when you’re sporting a fresh manicure, these handy gloves prolong the life of your polish — and that alone is worth the price of the package!

Nitrile gloves can be found online at Amazon.com.

*Note: Nitrile is a synthetic rubber material used in place of latex. Latex allergies have been on the rise in recent years† and cause symptoms as mild as a skin rash, runny nose, and sneezing to as serious as anaphylactic shock. Many people don’t even realize that they are allergic to latex if they aren’t exposed to it on a regular basis. Even if you’re certain that you’re not allergic to latex, it’s best to play it safe and keep it out of your kitchen. Most latex gloves are powdered for easy application, and that powder can become airborne, irritating the lungs.

† New York State Department of Health